Crazy For You
by individuall88
Summary: Summary/explanation inside. How making one small change can set of a chain of events that can alter your life. loosely based off of of a novel. I own nothing. Clois/Chlollie
1. Wednesday Night Pizza Dinner

**A/N:** OK, so I'm really nervous about this story..So be nice, please..It's different...

**Summary/Disclaimer:** This is loosely based off a book also called Crazy For You by Jennifer Cruisie. So I own nothing..I'm just interweaving a Superman story and a loose interpretation of her awesome book, into one. Lois decides she's going to keep a dog she accidentally hits. A story about how making one small change can set off chain reactions that can change your life. This is an AU/Futurefic.

**Pairings:** Clois,(yes Lois starts out with someone else in the beginning, but I get rid of him pretty quick ) Chlollie

**Rating:** T

**Warning:** This isn't beta'd so grammar mistakes are abundant. Sorry

**Chapter 1**

**Wednesday Night Pizza Dinners**

"I'll be home at seven." Lois told her significant other for the millionth time. He smiled at her, leaning in the doorway of her office. "Just making sure." He said sweetly, flashing his too perfectly straight, perfectly white teeth. This should have made Lois feel warm inside. He was checking up on her. He was being the attentive boyfriend that every woman wanted. However, at that particular moment, Lois wanted to take a swing at him.

It was Wednesday. He knew every Wednesday she left work an hour early to go have pizza with Chloe and Clark. This had been a tradition long before him. But, then again he was just being Phil- considerate, caring, understanding, Phil. The dipshit really was the perfect boyfriend.

Lois watched as he checked his watch. "I'll go bring the car around for you." He stated. Lois smiled appreciatively, "thanks."

It really was nice of him to walk all the way down to the garage and warm her car up and bring it to the curb. Lois felt guilty for wanting to sock him a second ago. She was really, very lucky to have him. At least that's what she kept telling herself.

She imagined him taking the elevator to the basement, pushing through the revolving doors. Then walking confidently across the icy Metropolis streets to the parking garage, not the least bit worried about falling or slipping. Nope. Not calm always in control, Phil.

Not the Office big shot. The Daily Planet's darling. He had been the most successful sport's writer for the past five years. He was at the top of his game and everybody loved him.

So why was Lois having doubts about their relationship? He did, do some things that didn't quite sit right with her. For instance, after Phil found her car he was going to use his key, instead of hers to unlock the door. That still bothered her.

Two years ago, when they first started dating, Phil made a copy of her car and house keys without her permission. She didn't make a big deal out of it because since then he had been spending hundreds of dollars to make sure her gas tank was always full. And it was illogical to be mad at a guy who fixed the garbage disposal at her old apartment, without being asked.

She was being ridiculous. Phil was a great guy. She could have ended up with someone like her father, an emotionally distant man who never had time for her. Or someone like, her best friend, Clark Kent: the commitment phobe.

He hadn't been in a serious relationship since his divorce almost ten years ago. He had married his high school sweetheart, Lana Lang the summer after they graduated Smallville High. And it had lasted about six months, before they both realized they wanted different things out of life. She wanted to stay in Smallville and have kids. And Clark, Lois could only guess because he never talked about it, didn't want that. So they split, amicably, in fact, Lois was pretty sure they were still good friends.

Lana remarried about five years ago. She lived in Paris and had two kids. And Clark was still single. He hardly ever dated. Lois didn't understand why, though. He wasn't bad looking by any stretch of the imagination. He was probably the most decent man she'd ever met. And had a certain dorky charm, about him. And he made her laugh. Phil never made her laugh.

But then again Clark would have probably dumped her after a couple of months out of boredom. And dumping someone out of boredom was an awful thing to do. If it wasn't she would have gotten rid of Phil a while ago. ,

Her cell phone buzzed on her desk. She didn't have to read it. It was Phil, telling her that 'her chariot awaits,' that's what he always texted her when he brought the car around. Every. Single. Time. And every single time, it irritated her for some reason.

Lois gathered her bag and papers. She had to remember to make an appointment with the head of sanitation tomorrow for her story. This should have excited her. The prospect of a new story, exposing the secrets of the city sewer systems and finding out whether or not the factories were taking the proper precautions to make sure the city's water supply was kept sanitary.

But she felt nothing. Seven years ago, the old Lois Lane would have come up with a crazy half-baked scheme to break into the sanitation office and look through their private documents. The old Lois would have told Phil to screw off and demand he relinquish the keys she never said he could have. The old Lois would have laughed in her face when she told her she was making an 'appointment.'

Lois sighed. She missed that Lois Lane. What had happened to her?

********

Phil had offered to drive her to Chloe's, but Lois refused. She needed to be alone. She needed to think. She needed to take a step back and seriously reconsider the choices she'd made the past couple of years. She loved her job. She relished in being a reporter. It was her element, her niche. She was damn good at it, too. Or at least she used to be. Lately, it seemed like she was in a rut.

She needed a change. In college, Lois had vowed before Chloe and Clark and God that by the time she was thirty she was going to be the Daily Planet's top reporter. She won her first Kerth award when she was twenty-three, and back then it seemed like nothing could stop her. She was making strides at her job. She moved up from the basement's bullpen to having her own corner office in a matter of three years.

Then, she met Phil and at first everything seemed to be going her way, but-

Lois was so caught up in her own thoughts she didn't see the dog until it was too late. "Crap!" Lois cringed as she felt, more than heard a loud 'thud' against the passenger side of her car. She slammed on her brakes as her eyes darted to the review mirror; there in the middle of the road, was large, dark dog-shaped lump.

'No!" She hadn't meant to hit him. He'd come out of nowhere! The brunette sprang from her car and sprinted toward the poor animal. She crouched down next to it. It didn't seem to be hurt too badly, at least there was no blood. That was a good sign, right?

"I'm so sorry." She whispered. The golden retriever's warm, liquid chocolate eyes looked up at her as if saying _help me, save me, fix my life!_ The reporter felt her heart lurch for the mutt. "Don't worry. No one I've hit has ever died." she assured it. "You're going to be fine. I'm going to take care of you."

Lois scooped up the large dog into her arms and carried him to her SUV. She gingerly placed him across the back seat. For a moment, she observed him under the dim illumination of her car light. He was a beautiful dog. Despite the clumps of dirt and grimy smudges covering her fur, she could still tell his coat was a deep shade of amber. All he needed was a bath. She placed a hand on his stomach and gasped. His ribs were protruding through his skin. The poor animal probably hadn't eaten in weeks!

Lois had never considered her self to be the maternal type. No matter how hard Phil tried to convince her she'd make the perfect housewife. She wasn't good with kids and not even the Jaws of Life could budge her from her Daily Planet office. But at that moment the twenty-eight year old woman couldn't deny the instinctual want to protect and nurture the creature lying in the back seat of her car.

When she was sure the dog was secure and comfortable, Lois situated her self into the drivers seat. "It's OK. I'm going to take you home with me. Everything going to be fine," she reassured the dog. But first she had to meet her friends for pizza.

Lois glanced at the clock on the dashboard. She was already almost a half hour late. Hopefully, her pregnant cousin wouldn't be too upset.

The animal whined in response. Lois started the car and sped off.

Lois parked on the curve outside the Queen's penthouse. She bit her lip and twisted around to stare into the baleful eyes of her new dog.

She couldn't leave him in here. That would be cruel. Lois exited the vehicle and opened the trunk of her car. She had to have a rope or something, right? She rummaged through the contents, which mostly consisted of the completely unnecessary roadside assistant kit Phil had gotten her one Monday afternoon, six months ago.

"Just in case," he had told her smiling. Lois had tried to grin back, but she was pretty sure it turned itself into a glare. She had already had a roadside assistant kit. True, it wasn't as lavish as Phil's kit, but what the hell did she need a flare gun for, anyway? Did he think she was going to break down on a desert island?

Aha! Eureka! Lois pulled out three stretchy cables with hooks on either end. They were the kind of cables you used to hold things down on top of your car. She'd make it work.

Lois tentatively opened the back door at looked at the dog. The possibility of it being dangerous never crossed her mind until that moment. She was pretty sure he wasn't rabid.

"Hey, boy," she soothed hoping the dog was in fact, male. The dog acknowledged her presence and started to stand up. Lois stepped back a little bit and let it jump out onto the pavement. It sat down by her feet, tongue hanging out of its mouth, gazing at her expectantly.

"Well, you seem to be trained." Lois observed, cautiously attaching one of the cables around his neck. It was a little big, but it would have to do. Lois patted the dog's head, "good, boy."

The brunette hooked another cable onto the first and the last onto the second and viola! A makes-shift leash!

"C'mon," Lois tugged the leash gently, beckoning the mutt to follow her, and it did.

Lois led the dog into the elevator. Chloe and Clark were going be quite surprised.

********

Lois opened the door of the elevator and stepped into the Penthouse. "Hey Lo," Clark greeted he turned his gaze down and furrowed his eyebrows, "and dog?"

"Yeah." Lois smiled brightly "where's Chlo?"

"I'm right- Lois what the hell is _that_!" Chloe was so taken aback she almost dropped the tray of cheese and crackers. Clark came to the rescue and gently took the plate from her.

"Is there a guest bathroom I could use?" Lois asked trying to sound casual. "Preferably one with a big tub?"

It took Lois and Clark a half hour to wash and dry Lois's new furry four-legged friend. Clark was there just in case Fido didn't like water and someone had to hold him down. However, the dog was more than happy sitting in the middle of the oversized Jacuzzi tub being gently messaged by warm soapy water. Lois was careful not to get soap in his eyes or ears.

After, the wash the dog shook the excess water off his fur and generously sprayed Lois and Clark. "Arrgh!" Clark exclaimed. Lois's giggle turned into a sneeze.

Lois grabbed a fluffy, oversized towel and started rubbing the dog's fur dry. The sensation must have felt good, because not one minute after Lois started patting the creature dry, it immediately lied down and rolled over on its back "Well," Clark laughed, "He's definitely a boy." Lois smiled and grabbed the blow dryer from the cabinet under the sink. She didn't want to mutt running around the Penthouse, wet, Chloe and Oliver probably wouldn't be happy about that.

Chloe was setting the pizza boxes down on the small table in the kitchen when Lois and Clark and the dog finally came strolling through the doorway

"Finally," Chloe commented.

"Sorry," Lois said, "I wanted the mutt to be clean for dinner." She exchanged smirks with her cousin.

"Well, I'm starved." Clark sat down in his usual spot at the kitchen table.

"Me too." Lois took the seat next to him, "T.G.I.W."

Clark raised his eyebrow at her.

"Thank God it's Wednesday." She smiled.

"Boo." Clark shook his head, "that was a terrible joke."

"Shut up."

"Well, let's get this Wednesday night pizza dinner started then." Chloe took a big gooey slice out the 'Antonio's' box.

They always had 'Antonio's pizza.

Wednesday night pizza dinner was a tradition the three friends had been sharing for almost ten years. It went back to their college days. Even when Clark took off on his two year 'round the world trip following graduation, they still kept the tradition alive. He would call from wherever he was or sometimes set up a live feed over the Internet.

They had only missed a handful of Wednesday night pizza dinners. When Chloe and Clark were both on their respective honeymoons and when Clark's father, Jonathon Kent passed away, cutting Clark's trip abroad short.

Wednesday night pizza dinners were a chance for the three friends to catch up on each other's lives. No spouses, girlfriends/boyfriends, or any other kind of 'outsiders' were allowed. This was their time together.

"So," Chloe said casually. "I'm just going to come right out and ask, what's with the dog, Lo?"

"Well," Lois began a bit sheepishly. "On my way over here I accidentally hit him-"

"With your car?" Clark interjected in a shocked tone.

"No, with my fist." Lois snapped sarcastically. Clark rolled his eyes.

"I just couldn't leave him in the middle of the street," Lois said.

"So, what are you going to do with him?" Chloe asked taking a bite of her pizza.

Lois gnawed on her bottom lip thoughtfully and observed the dog at her feet. He wasn't begging for food he just wanted to be near her. She had been wrong about the color of his coat earlier in the car. It was even more beautiful than she imagined. It was the color of autumn. A deep reddish-brown highlighted with ale colored undertones, shiny and soft. He looked even more radiant surrounded by the green décor of the kitchen.

"I'm going to keep him," Lois told her friends.

Clark cocked an eyebrow. "How does Phil feel about that?"

Lois's face fell. Oh, right _him._

"Uh-er I don't know," she admitted frowning. She didn't even know if Phil liked dogs or cats or any type of animal. She turned her head away from the table and sneezed, again.

"Lois, you can't keep him. You're allergic!" Chloe pointed out.

"The marvels of modern medicine my dear little cousin. I'll just go to the doctor and they can stick me with a needle or give me some pills or something." Lois replied scratching her dog behind the ear. "I'm going to keep him. He's mine."

"What are you going to call him?" Clark asked.

"Shelby."

The name just came to her.

"Why Shelby?"

"Because that's his name." Lois answered simply. She tore a small bit of pizza off her slice and fed it to her new dog. "Good boy, Shelby." The dog rubbed against her thigh in reply. Lois took the gesture as a sign that he liked his new name.

"Does Phil even know about the dog?" Chloe asked.

"No." Her cousin replied then quickly changed the subject. "So enough about my life." Lois said directing the conversation toward Chloe. "Quit stalling Chlo, what type of bun is in your oven? Are Clark and I going to have a godson or a goddaughter?"

Chloe conveniently took another bite of her pizza as her friends stared her down. She swallowed hard. "Actually, I decided I want to be surprised." Clark and Lois exchanged looks, both biting back groans. She had changed her mind- again.

"Ollie wants to be surprised to." The pregnant blonde defended. But she said it in such a way that Lois knew Oliver was going to be surprised whether he wanted to be or not.

Lois sighed exasperatingly. Chloe was never this indecisive before she was pregnant.

"It's healthy though, right?" Clark asked.

"Yes. Very healthy." Chloe smiled and rubbed her small bump affectionately. "But I'm getting fat. Lois we're going to have to go shopping for maternity clothes this weekend. I can only fit into my sweat pants. It's really annoying."

"We can go on Saturday." Lois said, "Phil's got to fly out to go to a game this weekend, so I'm free."

"Speaking of Phil, how are you two doing these days?" Chloe ventured.

Lois quickly twisted in her seat and redirected the conversation to Clark.

"So, Smallville? Anything new with the cows?" Lois smirked.

He gave her a look. "Nope. Same old. Same old." He replied.

"Smallville, do you really want to be a farmer for the rest of your life?" Lois asked curiously. They had both studied journalism in college and the only thing Clark had done with that degree was a few dozen free lance articles one his trip around the world.

Clark looked a bit taken aback by the question. Lois couldn't tell if he was seriously considering it or if he was just humoring her.

"I don't know." He finally answered sincerely. Before she could ask any follow up questions he rose from his seat, "Speaking of the farm-"

"Well, you and Chloe are sure channeling segues tonight-" Lois interjected. Clark ignored her.

"I hate to cut this Wednesday night pizza dinner short, but I've got some things to do at home." He kissed Chloe and Lois on the cheeks before making a quick exit.

"That was strange," Chloe, commented, when she heard the elevator door shut.

"Well, this is Smallville we're talking about," Lois pointed out.

"No, I mean it was strange how fast you changed the subject when I brought up Phil. Is everything OK? I mean really OK."

Lois patted her dog. "Yeah. Everything's fine."

********

Lois also left Chloe's house a little early. She wanted to stop by the pet store before it closed and pick up some basic supplies for Shelby. She grabbed a bag of dog chow and a chew toy and a couple of dog bowls and a collar and leash. That would have to do for now. She'd come back tomorrow on her lunch break for the rest.

Lois pulled into her parking spot infront of the apartment building she and Phil lived in. Their lease didn't allow dogs, especially big dogs. She was going to have to sneak him up and hope Mabel, the landlord, didn't see. Lois put her newly purchased leash and collar on Shelby.

"OK boy," She said opening the back door to let him out, "you have to be quiet." A thought suddenly occurred to Lois, she could use the fire escape! Yes, that was it! She grabbed her bags and snuck around to the side of the building, dog in tow. The brunette carefully lowered the ladder to the fire escape. She didn't have to go that far, she and Phil only lived on the third floor.

"Come on, Shelbs." She coaxed tugging at the leash. At first the golden retriever hesitated, unsure of how to approach the metal ladder. But after a minute he decided he was going to at least take a stab at climbing the strange looking contraption. Lois watched as he leaped onto the first step and used the momentum to climb the rest of the way. She had to let go of the leash so she didn't choke him as he rushed up the steps.

But, like the good dog that he was, he waited patiently for his new owner on every landing. He didn't move until he saw her start to climb first. _What an intelligent dog_, Lois couldn't help thinking proudly to herself.

Once they made it to the third landing Lois lifted the window and let herself and Shelby inside. Phil would have had an aneurism if he knew she liked to keep this window open during the day. He was always telling her how dangerous the city was and if she didn't lock every single entrance anybody could come in and hurt her, if he wasn't around. And she had let him talk to her that way. Like she was a fragile little china doll. Like she was damsel in distress that needed saving. Why had she let him do that?

Lois didn't have time to ponder the question for long, because as she and Shelby were emerging from the bedroom, her boyfriend was opening the front door. "Honey, I'm home," he called.

Lois took a deep a breath.

"Hi." She said brightly.

He kissed her on the cheek. "You'll never guess what Perry-" He stopped mid sentence upon seeing Shelby.

**TBC**

********

**A/N:** OK. Tell me what you think. Honestly. I need some feedback. Cuz if it sucks I'll delete it and we can pretend this little faux pas never happened…So please Review- Good or Bad. Thanks! But you know, be nice about it, if it's bad. I have a fragile ego.


	2. Beige

**A/N: **Thanks for your review. They are greatly appreciated. Enjoy the next Chapter.

**Chapter 2**

**Beige**

Lois felt dizzy with rage. "No." he'd said, then stood there with his arms crossed over his chest, wearing an I'm-the-king-of-the-fucking-universe expression. Well, last time she checked no one died and made him God!

"Well, I'm keeping him," she stated, surprised that her voice was so calm.

"No." He repeated with the same finality, heading toward the kitchen. Lois acted as if he hadn't spoken and placed the bag of dog supplies on the table near the door and retrieved the food and bowls.

Poor, Shelby was probably starving. Though he had eaten a lot of pizza at Chloe's, but that couldn't be healthy for a dog. At least, she didn't think so.

"You spent money on it?" Phil's distasteful, yet even voice called from the kitchen.

Lois looked up to glare at him. He was getting out a pot and filling it with water.

"His name is Shelby and what are you doing?" She demanded.

"I'm fixing us some dinner." He said.

"I already ate at Chloe's. I had pizza."

"Pizza isn't good food. You need good food. And besides you must be hungry, you ate early."

"What are you making?"

"Stroganoff." He said putting the thawed out hamburger meat into a pan on the stove.

Lois didn't want stroganoff, she wasn't hungry; Shelby, however, scarfed down the food in his bowl so fast Lois wondered if he'd even tasted it.

"I'm not hungry."

'Sure you are."

"No." She balled her fists at her side, "I'm. Not."

"Lois, I know what's best for you."

Lois was so enraged at that moment she couldn't see straight. What was she doing? Why was she with him? And a better question was, why wasn't she throwing things at his head, at the moment?

"Why don't you give the dog to Sandra?" Phil suggested, Lois heard the meat start to simmer and the water began to boil on the stove.

"Because I'm keeping him." She stated stubbornly. Sandra was an older woman who worked at the Daily Planet. She wrote for the 'Living' section. She had never been married and as far as Lois knew enjoyed living alone. Lois was beginning to understand why.

"Lois, you're being irrational. We don't need a dog."

"It's not about _needing _a dog. I _want_ him."

Shelby whined and pushed his dish against her foot.

"Still hungry?" She smiled down at him.

She refilled his bowl. At this rate she was going to be out of dog food by tomorrow morning.

Lois took a minute and just stared at the beautiful vibrant colored creature in the middle of her mundane, beige apartment. Correction, this wasn't her apartment, hell it wasn't even _their _apartment, this was Phil's apartment and she just happened to be living in it.

When they first came to look at it, a year ago. Lois told him she didn't like it. But he said it was five minutes from work, and that seemed like a good enough reason at the time. So she didn't argue with him, and the next thing she knew they were moving in.

He'd also picked out the furniture, which was also beige with blue pin stripes. When it was delivered she told him she hated it, but he'd said, "I've already paid for it. And it's here. Just give it a couple of months and if you still don't like it, we'll return it." At the time Lois thought it was silly to fight about something as trivial as furniture.

But now looking at her autumn colored dog in the middle of the 'blah' colored apartment she knew she should have. In fact, there were a lot of things in the past that she should have fought for. Well, she was going to fight for Shelby, now. He was definitely worth it.

She watched Phil, equally as beige as the walls and the carpet and the furniture, happily cooking away. Unaware that she was furious with him. She hated that about him. He always dismissed her anger, always patiently waited it out.

They had never had an argument. In two years of dating, they'd never fought. Not once. There was something very wrong about that. Didn't normal couples, fight? Sometimes, at least, wasn't that healthy? She wanted to fight. She wanted them to scream and argue and throw things at each other. At least it would show that he had some sort of irrational, primal instinct. That he wasn't this calm, sensible robot of a man!

"Well, I'll just have a talk to Sandra tomorrow." Phil stated casually. Had he been listening to her at all?

"No," She said, wondering how she wasn't screaming bloody murder at him. She should stomp her foot or childishly pout. That's what the old Lois would have done. The old Lois would have made him listen to her, she wouldn't have stood being ignored. Where did this passive Lois come from?

Lois leaned against the table by the door at caught her refection in a mirror hanging on the opposite wall. And for a moment, she almost didn't recognize herself. She was still the long legged, brunette, she'd always been. But her eyes were vacant and hollow. She looked like an empty shell of her former self.

Where was the bright eyed, determined reporter who wanted to make a name for herself? Where was the 'take-no-prisoners-give-'em-hell' Lois Lane of her past. What had happened to her? She was starting to blend into the walls and carpet, too. She didn't want to be beige, she wanted to be like Shelby, bright and bold and happy. She was losing herself.

She tore her eyes away from the mirror.

"I hate this apartment!" She exploded abruptly, savoring how nice it felt to yell.

"What?" Phil's head popped up as he laid the plates down on the kitchen table. "Lois quite being ridiculous and come eat. "

"I'm not hungry."

"Nonsense-"

"I hate this furniture!"

"Lois? You're acting like a child!"

For one moment all the brunette could see was red.

"And right now I'm not too fond of you, either!" She grabbed Shelby's still attached leash and her keys and marched into the bedroom, out the window, and down the fire escape.

She had to get out.

********

Clark was just thinking about heading to bed when a loud knock came from his front door. Who in the world could be here at this hour? Before he could make it to the threshold, Lois Lane with Shelby hot on her heels, burst through the entrance.

"Lois? What are you doing here? It's almost ten thirty!"

"I need a beer and I need to talk-in that order." Lois pushed passed him into the kitchen. Though alcohol didn't have any effect on him, Clark usually kept at least a couple of beers in the fridge for occasions like this.

Clark sat down on the couch in the family room and Lois joined him a moment later carrying two cold brewskis.

"What's wrong?" Clark asked watching her take a giant gulp from the bottle.

"Phil and I had a fight. At least I think it was a fight. It's so hard to tell because he's always so damn calm all the time. I swear that man doesn't have a passionate bone in his body- in fact I know he doesn't!"

"Lo!" Clark interrupted, not really wanting her to delve into her and Phil's sex life, though he had to admit knowing that 'perfect Phil' wasn't quite up to par in the bedroom made him happy-too happy. "What did you fight about?"

Shelby lied down at Lois's feet. "What do you think?" She pointed to the dog.

"He didn't want to keep Shelby," Clark guessed.

"No, he wasn't too thrilled with the idea. But that's not the only reason that I'm mad! He didn't even want to discuss it! He talked to me like I was a child, instead of his girlfriend. Sometimes I think- no scratch that- most of the time I think he doesn't really see me. Like he only sees what he wants me to be."

Clark couldn't believe that. You either had to be blind or a complete and utter moron not to see Lois Lane.

"Lois, I'm sure you and Phil will work it out," He encouraged. Clark didn't really have a problem with Phil. He was a good guy and Lois seemed happy. And that was all that mattered, really. As long as Lois was happy, so was he. It was less complicated that way.

"Maybe." She said quietly, absentmindedly peeling the label off her beer.

She always did that. The corners of Clark's mouth twitched up.

"I'm sorry." She said suddenly looking at him, "I know you don't like to get involved with things. I just-"

"Lois, it's OK. I just can't believe you drove an hour to talk to me when Chloe lives ten minutes away from your apartment."

"I didn't want to talk to Chloe. I wanted to talk to you." She playfully punched him in the arm.

"Ever heard of a fancy new fangled device called a telephone?" Clark joked.

"I had to get away from that goddamn _beige_ apartment." She spat the word 'beige' like it was something filthy. And Clark had to admit when he first saw Phil and Lois's apartment; he never could quite picture Lois living in it. It just didn't suit her. It was too cold and modern, very un-Lois. But, she'd stuck it out for a year. And that was longer than he'd thought she would.

"I don't know," Lois groaned and stretched her arms above her head. Clark tried to ignore the way her back curved. "I just feel like I'm in a rut." He admitted, leaning against the back of the couch and taking another swig of beer.

"A rut?" Clark asked.

"Yeah, I just- never mind. Enough of my whining," she decided curling one of her legs beneath her other and turning towards him. "So when are you going to finally give in and join me at the Daily Planet."

'Lois, we've been over this a hundred times-"

"Come on, Clark, think of how much fun it would be! You'd get to see my shining face every morning!"

Clark smirked, "I've seen your face first thing in the morning-"

"Do you really want to finish that sentence?" Lois asked, narrowing her eyes dangerously.

Clark promptly shut his mouth, but he was still looking way to smug for her liking.

"You're not exactly a ray of sunshine, either," she mumbled.

"Point taken. We both look horrible in the morning," that was a lie. Lois never looked bad in the morning, even after a night of drinking with hair tussled and wild. Even when she had huge bags under her puffy eyes, she still looked- Clark didn't dare finish that thought.

"You could at least do a few free lance articles," Lois suggested helpfully. "You loved doing those-_before_," she finished cautiously.

"Things were different back then," Clark stated solemnly. It was his turn to take an enormous gulp of beer. Not that it affected him.

Lois averted her eyes and went back to picking at the label of her bottle. She hadn't meant to remind him of his father's death. Dammit! Clark was in a small city in India when he received the news his father had died of a massive heartache only hours after, receiving the news he was elected Kansas State Senator.

Clark had immediately flown home on a red eye flight, stricken with guilt. Even though there was nothing anyone could have prevented it, Clark had it in his head that if he had been home, he could've done something.

Guilt was the one thing that the farm boy did better than anyone Lois, knew. He always looked like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. Since, his father's death Clark has been taking care of the farm while his mother was in Washington, finishing out her term as senator. She had taken Jonathon's place.

Feeling responsible for the suddenly, somber mood, Lois fidgeted in her seat next to him.

"Well," she said taking one last gulp of her beer, "I guess I should get back. It's getting pretty late."

"Lois you can't drive back, now." Clark replied, "It's almost midnight! Take my room, I'll sleep on the couch."

'Just like old times." She grinned at him.

"Just like old times." He returned her smile.

"Well, if I'm going to stay I might as well have another beer." She leapt from the couch and carefully stepped over Shelby. "You need one?"

"Still working on my first." He called back.

After her second beer, Lois ran upstairs to get ready for bed. She'd have to get up extra early to make the trip back to Metropolis, if she wanted to get to work on time.

"Hey, Lo!" Clark called up the stairs.

"What!"

"Don't you think you should call Phil? Just so he won't worry!"

There was a moment of silence.

"Fine. I guess you're right," her reply was accompanied with a heavy, reluctant sigh.

Lois bounced down the steps wearing nothing but his red and gold plaid shirt.

"That's my shirt," He stated dumbly.

"It was the only thing I could find that was clean. Do you mind?"

"No. I don't mind." But he did mind. He minded because his shirt only fell to her mid thigh, he minded because when she reached up to grab a glass from the cabinet his shirt rode up higher, revealing even more of her silky smooth, impossibly long legs. He minded a lot.

_Lois is your best friend. Chloe's cousin. Phil's girl. _He told himself trying to relinquish all thoughts of those shapely legs wrapped around his waist.

It didn't help.

She filled her glass with ice and water and took a long gulp.

"Here," Clark tossed her cell phone at her.

"Thanks." But she hesitated before dialing.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't want to talk to him, I hope it goes to voice mail," she said.

"Lo-"

"I'm calling, I'm calling." She flipped the cell open and started to dial.

"Phil? I'm spending the night in Smallville. I'll be at work tomorrow. And just in case you aren't sure, yes I'm mad at you." She said in one breath then promptly hung up.

"I guess you got your wish," Clark said.

"Hmm?" Lois gave him a quizzical look.

"His phone went to voice mail," Clark clarified.

"No it didn't." Lois replied turning off her phone, so Phil couldn't call her back.

Clark laughed. Phil and Lois never fought. He had thought they were the perfect couple, before tonight. Well that was a lie, if he really started to think about it, which he tended not to do, he knew they were far from perfect. Around Chloe or himself, she was fiery and stubborn and sarcastic and Lois-y. But when she was with Phil, she seemed- less. That was the only way to describe it.

"OK. Well, I'm going to bed," Lois announced. "Thanks for everything, Smallville. You're the best!" She chastely pecked him on the lips, a clear, platonic friend only kiss. Yet, it left him wanting and tingling.

"Come on Shelby!" Lois and her new pet ascended the stairs.

Clark sighed and grabbed a sheet and pillow from the closet in the foyer.

It was going to be a long night. Clark closed his eyes and the image of Lois's lean legs as she reached up for a glass flashed before him. Dammit! He was not having hot thoughts about Lois!

_It wouldn't be the first time_, he reminded himself. He let his mind drift back to about ten years ago. When he and Lana made the big mistake of tying the knot.

When Clark was a teenager he only ever wanted one woman, Lana Lang. She was the epitome of the girl next door. Sweet and soft spoken and fragile and dainty, the kind of girl that a man, or rather at the time, a boy, wanted to protect and take care of. Or so he thought.

He was so sure she was the one for him. He was sure when they were dating, he was sure when he proposed, and he was even pretty sure when he walked down the aisle and said 'I do.'

At the reception, Clark danced most of the night with Lana, of course. But he also danced with his mother and Chloe and Lois. At the time, he and Lois weren't exactly the closest of friends. She'd crashed- literally- into his life the summer before his senior year and his parents had offered her a place to stay, until she went off to Metropolis University the following Fall. Basically, he and Lois were thrown together, and at first, neither one was too happy about it.

She was domineering and difficult and stubborn and sarcastic, basically a complete pain in the ass. She took over his room, she used up all of the hot water, and worst of all she was completely unpredictable. She always kept him guessing, he'd never met anyone as fascinating and infuriating at the same time. But as time passed, they went from reluctantly tolerating each other to a pretty close friendship. Lois may have been irritating, but she was loyal and a surprisingly good listener.

So, when Lana left him to talk to her Aunt Nell, he spotted Lois standing on the edge of the dance floor, observing. He was a little shocked no one was dancing with her. She looked absolutely tempting in that short, yellow bridesmaid dress that clung deliciously to her athletic, hourglass figure.

Without thinking, he'd marched over where she stood, grabbed her by the hand and wordlessly pulled her out onto the dance floor. She'd smiled as his free arm circled her waist and she in turn put hers around his shoulders.

"So, do you feel any different?" She'd asked.

"Nope." He'd replied simply, as they swayed together, "not yet."

"You will," she'd assured.

But at that moment, all he felt was how nicely her body melded against his. It was different than Lana, who was small and delicate, like a porcelain doll. He was afraid that if he held her too tight she might shatter into a million pieces.

But not Lois, Lois was strong and firm, yet soft at the same time. It felt good to hold someone durable against him. Someone he didn't have to constantly worry about hurting.

She'd leaned up to whisper in his ear, which had been a mistake because in order to get to his ear she had to press her chest against his. Clark, at that moment was suddenly acutely aware of her every curve, of every breath that fell from her lips causing her chest to rise and fall against his. Her hair had smelled like peaches.

He'd been so distracted he didn't hear what she'd said to him. So, all he did was smile in response after she pulled away. And he had to admit he missed the warmth of her body as soon as it was gone. And as she gazed grinning ear to ear at him, a ludicrous thought entered his brain. The kind of thought that a man who had just walked down the aisle three hours ago should not be thinking.

_I married the wrong, girl._

Of course, it was only a passing thought. It disappeared before he had too much time to dwell on it and then the dance had ended and he went back to Lana and Lois went back to wherever.

And lo and behold, six months later he was signing divorce papers. Maybe if he'd listened to that little voice out on the dance floor, he could have saved himself half a year of misery.

When he and Lana broke up Clark couldn't say he wasn't a little sad, but he was mostly relieved. And he'd applied for college at Metropolis University with Chloe and Lois. And those had been the best four years of his life. Lois and he were both journalism majors, while Chloe studied computer sciences.

It was easy not to get too carried away with Lois, while they were in college. She always had a boyfriend. She was the kind of girl that didn't stay single for long, not because she was needy or had to have someone; but because she was like the perfect impossible puzzle. She was challenging and addicting. The opposite sex stood no chance against her. They all knew they were never going to come remotely close to figuring her out, but they'd be damned if they didn't at least try.

Clark sighed and turned over on his side, trying to banish all thoughts of the woman sleeping in his bed. That and if he stared at the ceiling much longer he was going to give in and use his x-ray vision to check on said woman. Damn his room for being directly over the couch.

He had to stop thinking like this. Lois was off limits. She was involved with someone else and she was his best friend.

That and during their ten years of friendship he had yet to tell her he wasn't from- Earth. He'd meant to, sometime. But there was never really any cause too. He didn't really use his powers that much. Occasionally, he would help out Oliver and company when they asked, but other than that he didn't usually have a reason to take advantage of them. There was no sense in super speeding through the farm chores when you had nothing else to do all day.

He tried closing his eyes again. But there she was smiling at him, or biting her lip wearing nothing but _his_ shirt, and even though it didn't cling to her, like the bridesmaid dress had, he could still envision the curvaceous outline of her lean body.

Clark groaned. He would just have to pretend he was not just mentally undressing his best friend-again. Nope, it never happened and no one could prove otherwise.

**TBC**

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**

**A/N:** Please review! Thanks!


	3. The Last Straw

**A/N:** Thank you so much for the comments! they are much appreciated!

**Chapter 3**

**Last Straw**

Phil turned his nose up at his cell phone, like it was somehow responsible for the contents of Lois's call. She was in Smallville with Clark; he had nothing to worry about. Clark wasn't a threat. They were just friends, like brother and sister, really. Phil sighed. Why was she being so difficult? She hadn't been like this since they first started dating, but he'd managed to calm her since then. All it took was patience. He'd just wait it out.

It was that damn dog's fault, anyway. He saw the way it's beady eyes mocked him as Lois stormed off to their bedroom and down the fire escape. Yes, this was that entire conniving animal's doing. He'd talk to Sandra tomorrow and if she didn't want the filthy beast, he'd just take it to the pound.

They only killed the sick animals and the stupid mutt would find a good home, Golden Retrievers were a very popular breed. The more he thought about it, the more he liked that idea. Maybe he would bypass talking to Sandra altogether and go straight to plan B. Lois would be mad at him at first, but she'd get over it. She'd see things his way. And things would go back to normal.

Things would stay on schedule. He would propose to her this May and they would have a fall wedding and with any luck she'd be pregnant by Thanksgiving. He warmed at the thought of Lois carrying his child. Little Phil Jr. he would have his father's intelligence and strength and all his mother's sweetness.

And then he'd convince Lois to stay home and take care of the baby. That might take a bit of firm persuasion, but Lois was a rational person. She'd understand it was just the way things worked. He was the man, after all. Yes, things would be perfect. He just had to get rid of that damned dog.

********

The sun was just beginning to think about peaking over the horizon as Lois and Shelby tiptoed downstairs. She silently grabbed her purse, and slipped out the door letting Shelby ahead of her.

Lois stopped half way through the threshold, much to Shelby's annoyance. He made his irritation known by tugging on his leash indignantly, trying to urge her forward. He was eager to go for another car ride. But his new owner ignored him and chanced a glance back to the couch. She immediately wished she hadn't.

Clark was laying on his back a thin white sheet only covering his legs exposing his rippled abdomen and defined chest, rising and falling with every even breath. Oh, farm chores had done him good over the years. He'd always been in shape, but she'd forgotten just how fit he was.

Lois licked her dry lips. God, she wanted to run her hands down-

_Whoa! Reign in the hormones there, Lane._ Lois turned tore her eyes away from her the scene and chastised herself. Never mind that she was involved with someone at the present time, (this thought made Lois scrunch up her face.) But, this was Clark 'Smallville' Kent- dorky farm boy- your best friend, the man incapable of commitment, she reminded herself sternly.

In the last decade Clark had, had two "relationships" both ended with the girls getting fed up with his lack of devotion. Well, at least that had been Khyla's main concern. Alicia, the more recent girlfriend, was more upset with his reluctance to share a bed. Apparently, though he didn't look it, Clark Kent was quite the prude.

The man in question hadn't seemed all that shaken up about either break-up. Lois remembered him casually mentioning that he and Alicia were no longer seeing each other, one Wednesday night pizza dinner, three, (or was it four?) years ago. She and Chloe had both immediately bombarded him with about a million questions; the blonde bank teller had lasted significantly longer than Khyla, but he- being a man of little words-quickly changed the subject, silencing his curious friends.

The brunette shook her head made sure the door didn't click as she shut it. Shelby trotted happily to the car, impatiently waiting to be let in. Lois finally complied with his wishes and then slid into the drivers seat.

The drive back to Metropolis was peaceful and uneventful. Shelby happily poked his head out of the window, tongue hanging out of his mouth, enjoying the wind in his face.

The sun was almost all of the way over the horizon when the duo finally reached the apartment. Lois and Shelby used the main entryway instead of the fire escape. Her landlord wasn't an early riser.

The first thing Lois did, when she entered the apartment, was to pour Shelby some breakfast. Then she, as quietly as humanly possible, crept into the bedroom she shared with Phil and picked out her clothes for the day. She didn't spare him a glance. She could hear his loud snores from the hallway.

Lois showered and changed quickly. Even though it was only a quarter until seven, she patted her dog on the head and promised him she'd be back at lunch with new goodies and to take him out. Shelby's response was too flop onto his stomach- in what looked like the dog equivalent of 'spread eagle'- on the kitchen tile.

Lois bit back a giggle as she left the apartment.

********

Phil was a bit later to work than usual, but he knew Perry wouldn't mind. He had to run an important errand before work. He smiled to himself and started humming a joyous tune. His first stop was to visit Lois. She had her door shut, but he was her boyfriend so he didn't bother knocking and barged in.

Lois was not impressed with his lack of respect for her privacy. She met him with a glower.

"Hi," he said as though they hadn't spent the night apart. As though she wasn't angry with him. Lois's glower deepened at the realization. Idiot.

Lois pretended he hadn't spoken and went back to putting the finishing touches on her City Hall piece.

"Lois? Did you hear me?"

The brunette clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth, indignantly, "yes, I heard you. But I'm still mad at you and I want you to go away!"

He cocked his head to side wearing a bemused expression. She was still mad? Phil shrugged, she wouldn't be mad for long. Now that, that damn dog was gone.

"Well, I have to go see Perry, but we'll have lunch together." He said, jauntily.

'No. We won't," Lois, corrected, "I'm not having lunch with you, I have an errand to run at lunch."

Phil frowned. "Oh, well then I'll see you later."

Lois rolled her eyes. She momentarily wondered if it was finally sinking into his exceptionally thick skull that she was upset with him, still. No, probably not.

After she finished up her City Hall article, Lois called the sanitation office and made an appointment for Saturday evening to meet with a supervisor.

She checked her cell phone every five minutes, willing her lunch hour to come. She was a bit excited to go back to the pet store and pick up supplies.

Finally, noon rolled around and Lois all but skipped to her car. At the pet store Lois made sure to buy another bag of dog food. She realized she would probably be buying dog food everyday, if she continued living in Phil's apartment. There was no way she could drag a forty pound bag up the fire escape and she didn't need her landlord catching her dragging dog food down the hall. So she settled for the small light, bag. Lois also bought several chew toys of different varieties, squeaky furry ones, squeaky rubber ones, tennis balls, ones shaped like shoes, and a stuffed cow that mooed. That was enough toys, she hoped.

Lois decided he would need a doggy bed, too. And she should get some biscuits and she also picked up a book on Golden Retrievers and dog training, just in case. Lois bagged the supplies in paper, so she could use the front entrance. She kept the dog bed in the back seat of her car; she'd sneak it up later.

Lois shoved her key in the lock and twisted, praying Shelby hadn't peed on anything or left her little surprises in her shoes or ruined the apartment. She'd once read that dogs didn't like being home alone and often expressed their displeasure by ripping their owner's furniture or clothes apart.

To her pleasant surprise the apartment seemed to be intact. Lois set her groceries down on the kitchen table. She waited for the soft sounds of padded paws happily racing toward the kitchen-but none came.

"Shelby!" Lois called perhaps he was talking a nap. She searched the kitchen and the living room- not there. She made her way into hallway back to the master bedroom and bath- nope. She tried the guest bedroom/office and he wasn't there either.

Lois's breath became labored with panic. Where was her dog? He was perfectly fine this morning when she left and Phil-

Phil. He wouldn't. No, he was thick, but he wasn't a thief. There was no way he would-

He was late for work today. Her blood boiled with unadulterated fury. He'd stolen her dog.

She hardly remembered the drive to Planet, she may have almost run over a man on a moped, but she wasn't positive. She was too focused on the prospect of ringing her soon to be ex-boyfriend's meaty neck!

Lois stormed into Phil's office. She ignored the fact that his two bone headed friends Tim and Alex were there, also.

"What the hell did you do with my dog?" She demanded.

Phil looked up at her seething face, 'Oh, hi honey-"

"Don't you dare, 'hi, honey' me you Jackass!" Lois fumed.

"Now, Lois calm down, it's OK, the dog is fine. The lady at animal control assured me-"

"You. Took. My. Dog. To. The. POUND!" She didn't care if the entire city heard her.

"Lois, don't yell-"

"You better pray that nothing happened to him!" She screeched, "Or so help me God I will make sure you are never able to procreate!"

"Lo-"

"Take me too him right, NOW!" She would have gone by alone, but she didn't trust herself driving under this stressful condition. She was liable to run over pedestrians.

Phil sighed and rose from his seat. "Lois we can't keep, him-"

"Don't talk to me!" She stomped out of the room and Phil followed her. She deliberately shut the elevator doors in his face.

Phil slipped into the driver's seat and started the car, Lois waited until he pulled out into traffic. "What do you have to say for yourself?" She snapped.

"Lois, our building doesn't allow dogs. I talked to Mabel this morning and she said there was no way-"

"Then I'll just have to find another place to live." Lois said simply.

"Lois, don't be absurd. Our apartment is in the perfect location. Only five minutes away from work and it's in a really good school district-"

"Fine. You can stay there, but I'm moving out," she stated. "It wasn't working out for us anyway, and now that you've stolen my dog it never can!"

Phil was quiet for a moment. Lois didn't want to feel bad for him. She was didn't want to feel guilty, dammit! But she did. Yes, he had stolen her dog and that was unforgivable, but he was still a pretty good guy. And she liked him enough to stay with him for two years because she hadn't disliked him enough (until recently) to leave.

What a depressing revelation. Lois vowed at that moment that she would never let herself settle again.

Lois chanced a glance at Phil, he was-smiling? What the hell? All of her feelings of empathy quickly evaporated. "Phil," she said slowly and deliberately, "I'm leaving you. We're over." She didn't think she could make herself any clearer.

But he just smiled and drove, "We'll talk about this tonight, over dinner." He said. Lois's mouth dropped open. "No, we won't." she tried again, "there's nothing to discuss, I'm breaking up with you."

But he just shook his head and kept on smiling. Lois wished she knew what was going on in that delusional mind of his.

When they finally reached the pound, Lois raced inside the building and grabbed the poor girl behind the desk by the collar. "Where is Shelby!"

"Er-what?" The girl said in a small scared voice.

"The dogs," Lois clarified, "where do you keep the dogs."

The woman pointed shakily to a door.

"Lois put that poor woman down!" Phil said behind her. Lois was already a step ahead of him, she pushed open the door the woman had acknowledged. It lead to the back of the building, there were several rows of large cages.

"Shelby!" Lois called frantically searching the cells.

Of course, all of the dogs perked up when they saw her and they all started barking and jumping around, _help me, save me!_ They all seemed to say.

Lois wished she could comply with their silent pleas, but-

A flash of extraordinary auburn color caught her eye, "Shelby!" Lois ran to the cage and fell to her knees. Her beautiful dog whined and pawed at the fence, just as desperate to be reunited with her.

"Over here!" Lois yelled, as the woman she'd manhandled and Phil strolled through the door.

"That will fifty dollars for a license, it's the law." She said to Phil. The blonde sighed and pulled out his wallet.

After Shelby was released and the proper paper work signed, Lois and Phil and Shelby drove back to the apartment in silence. Lois wondered if she should reiterate the fact that she was still moving out and that they were no longer together. But she didn't want to hurt his feelings, more. And she didn't think she could have been plainer.

God, she hated awkward silences.

Phil dropped Lois and Shelby off at the apartment. He tried to kiss her goodbye, but Lois turned her head and exited the car, before he could.

He really was that dense.

Lois didn't bother taking the fire escape route, she and Shelby weren't going to be living here for long, let Mabel throw a fit.

Lois reached for her cell phone. She had to make three phone calls.

********

"Smallville, I need you-" those were the first words Clark heard when he answered his cell phone.

'Lois?"

"And your truck." She finished.

"What happened?" He asked. "Are you OK?"

"I'm leaving Phil."

A rush of euphoria sang through him, followed quickly by apprehension and depression.

"Why? Did he not want Shelby? Lois I could-"

"He stole my dog and took him to the pound." She stated, anger evident in her tone.

"He did what?"

"Yep."

"I'll be there in an hour." Clark answered reluctantly.

"Thanks. I owe you for life."

"Yes you do." He hung up and ran a hand through his hair. Here we go again. He thought trudging to his car. He just had to wait it out a couple of months, she'd move onto someone new, then he could go back to repressing those pesky feelings of his.

_Lois is single._ A voice in his head was celebrating. _Single, as in available_, it taunted. Clark ignored his subconscious as he got into his truck.

Usually, it took anywhere from forty-five minutes to an hour to get to Metropolis. Clark pulled into a vacant parking space in front of Lois's soon to be old apartment building thirty-five minutes after he left his house.

He called her and she buzzed him up.

"Lois?" He opened the unlocked door.

"Hi," she smiled coming out of her room carrying a box, "I don't have a lot that I want to take just some books and my clothes and some pictures and my toiletries." She said handing him the box.

"You don't want to take anything else? What about your _Whitesnake_ shrine? Or your ridiculous collection of eighties metal band music?" Clark asked.

Lois smiled sheepishly, "all that stuff is in the attic at the farm. Phil-" She stopped mid-sentence. "It doesn't matter, I'm moving out."

"What about the furniture?"

"I hate the furniture, he picked it out; he can keep it." She replied. Clark took the box she'd handed him to the truck and jogged back up.

"Why are we doing this, now? Don't you have to work?"

"I called Perry and told I was taking the rest of the day off." She said, while stuffing her clothes in a large black garbage bag.

"And he let you?"

"I told him I had the flu," she avoided eye contact.

"Why didn't you tell him the truth?" Clark demanded.

Lois stopped shoving her clothes and looked at her friend. "You don't understand, Phil is the Planet's golden boy. If I told Perry I was leaving him- it'd be like telling him Barbie was leaving Ken." She tried to explain.

"How did 'Ken' take it, anyway?" Clark inquired.

"He smiled." She said simply.

Clark blinked a couple times_. What?_

"Maybe he didn't understand what you were saying," Clark supplied. There was no way Lois told him she was moving out and he smiled. No. Way.

But Lois shrugged. "I said 'Phil I'm moving out. We done.' And he smiled." She recapped.

Clark gaped at her. Phil was the biggest moron he'd ever met. When a woman Like Lois tells you she's leaving you, you don't smile. You immediately drop to your knees and beg her to stay. He didn't deserve her.

Clark grabbed another cardboard box of pictures and hauled them to his pick up. He returned for more boxes, Lois was still in her room gathering her clothes. He walked in to ask her what else she needed packed. He instantly regretted the decision.

Lois was unpacking her underwear drawer. Bright vibrant colored underwear, in every style and fabric tumbled into a garbage bag. Clark tried not to think about Lois's round softness filling out the material.

Time to go! Clark grabbed the nearest bag and made a run for it. Lucky for him, Lois was right behind him.

"Is that everything?" Clark asked.

"Almost, I have some books up there still and I should write Phil a note." He deserved at least that. Whether he wanted to believe it or not, she was moved out. Their relationship was over.

Lois worried her bottom lip and tapped the pen thoughtfully on the scrape paper.

_Phil _she began, _I'm sorry that things didn't work out between us, but I'm sure you'll find someone better for you, out there._ Lois turned up her nose. She hadn't wanted it to be once of 'those' letters. Oh, well. It was the truth. _ I know you think this is about Shelby and part of it is, but not all of it. We just aren't right for each other. It's not working. I'll be staying at Chloe's until I find a new place. Goodbye. _

She almost put love, Lois out of force of habit, but stopped herself. She didn't love him. She'd never loved him. So, she simply signed the note_ Lois_ and left it at that.

She picked up the last box; Shelby and all of his belongings were already in the truck. She gave the apartment one last once over, to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything. Once she was sure everything, which in retrospect wasn't a lot, from her life with Phil was in the back of Clark's pick up truck. She stuck her 'dear john' letter on the refrigerator and for the first time in a long time she felt like her old self again.

**TBC**

********

**A/N:** Please, Please. REVIEW! Thanks!


	4. Incident Number Three

**A/N:** Thank you all so much for your lovely comments! I really appreciate the feedback!

**Chapter 4**

**Incident Number Three**

Lois felt a new sense of freedom as Clark drove the short ten minutes to the Queen's Penthouse. Tomorrow she would go house hunting. Maybe she'd get an apartment near a dog park, or a house of the ridge of town, a real fixer upper, something cozy and warm and with a big backyard for Shelby. Something all her own, a spark of excitement ignited in her veins. Her very own house.

Ha!

"You're kind of scaring me." Clark commented as he turned into the garage of the penthouse.

Whoops. She'd laughed out loud. "Sorry, I just feel- good," She tried to explain. "Like I've just woken up from a long a enchanted nap."

"Like sleeping beauty?" Clark said.

Lois giggled. "Yes, except instead of a handsome prince kissing me- I got a four legged fur ball, who hit the side of my car." She petted her prince in shining amber.

"Hey, I'm the one that helped you escape the from the dragon's lair on my noble steed," Clark pointed out.

"Oh, you're right." Lois lifted her hand and teasingly scratched behind her best friend's ear, "Good, Clarkie. Who's my good boy? Who's my good boy?"

Shelby barked jealously in the back seat, as if saying, _me! Me! I'm your good boy! Me! Not him!_

Lois and Clark laughed.

When they'd finally unloaded all of Lois's belongings in one of the guest rooms of the penthouse, Lois invited Clark to stay for a drink. God knows she could use one.

"Are you sure Oliver won't mind that your drinking his good scotch?" Clark asked.

"What he doesn't know can't hurt me." Lois replied simply setting the glass on the table.

"Who is he going to think drank it? The alcohol fairy?"

"I could tape some wings to my back." Lois suggested.

Clark rolled his eyes.

Then the newly single brunette reporter did something that Clark wished she hadn't, she walked over toward the balcony, up the small flight of stairs and plopped comfortably onto the green chaise facing the skyline.

Clark gulped._ The_ green chaise.

There were two unforgivable occurrences that had happened over years that Clark liked to refer to as Incident number one and Incident number two. Coincidentally, both incidents had happened with in months of each other.

Incident number one occurred during a New Years Eve party three years ago. Lois and he were both single at the time. And Lois, though not drunk, had had a few glasses of bubbly and was riding out a nice alcoholic induced buzz. No matter how many glasses Clark drank he would never know the feeling.

When the clock tolled midnight, she had raced across the room and flung herself into his arms. Clark twirled her around once and told her Happy New Year. Then she kissed him. And it was supposed to be a friend type kiss. A peck. Like the one she'd given him the other night, but it wasn't. It started out quick and chaste, but quickly escalated to frantic and deep. And the only reason they stopped was because of lack of oxygen.

And when he'd pulled back, her eyes were still closed and partly open. Her skin was flushed and warm and her lips bruised and pouty. He almost kissed her again. But then her eyes popped open and she'd said a quick Happy New Year, then scurried off to find Chloe, he assumed. They never talked about it. But there was a silent understanding between them that the Champaign was predominantly to blame, for what happened.

And Clark let himself believe that (even though alcohol didn't affect him) until about a month and a half later.

Incident number two had everything to do with that green chaise. Well, that was unfair. Incident number two had everything to do with Red K laced lipstick, which lead to the green chaise.

Lois had purchased a special kind of lipstick from a gypsy, on Valentine's Day. She was a little bit down on her luck in the love department, (a year and a half long dry spell) and the exotic woman behind the counter had assured her that she would fall in love with the first person she saw, once she applied the rouge. Lois, always the skeptic, had rolled her eyes. However, the deep crimson color was attractive, so she'd tried some on.

The gypsy woman hadn't been lying about the love spell, part. As soon as the make-up touched her mouth, Clark appeared in the reflection of the mirror she was looking in and Cupid's arrow hit Lois Square between the eyes.

What ensued was a half-day of Clark trying desperately to get away from Lois, who was hell bent of making him, hers. And if a love spell weren't involved he would have gladly conceded long before he was forced too. Finally, she cornered and kissed him in a phone booth at the Daily Planet- successfully, infecting him with Red K.

One-er many hot make-out sessions and one super jump off the Planet's roof to Ollie's balcony, later- Clark, infected with Red K, had successfully maneuvered Lois, under a love spell, onto the very chaise she was occupying now. Except instead of sitting, she had been laying one her back, arms above her head, open and willing and wanting him, wearing very little clothing.

If Chloe and Oliver hadn't stormed into the room spraying the antidote- well let's just say Lois and Clark would have been in for one hell of an awkward morning after. Especially, since Lois remembered none of it. Clark on the other hand was in his own personal hell, because he remembered everything, in extraordinary detail.

"Come and sit with me." Lois patted the seat next to her, pulling him back to the present. Clark looked up at the sky, someone up there was laughing at him. But he forced a smile and nodded as he began walking up the small flight of steps.

Cautiously, Clark sat down on the very end of the piece of cursed furniture. He was far enough away so he wasn't touching her, but close enough that he could faintly detect the smell of her peach shampoo.

"So, how does it feel to be a free woman?" Clark asked, casually. Lois sighed and put her head on his shoulder. The faint smell of peaches was now overpowering his senses. Not that he minded. Clark slung his arm around her shoulders. This was a normal position for the two, especially after a break-up.

During their university days, Chloe was the one that came over and sobbed on his shoulder and Lois was the one who came over and just wanted someone to listen and hold her.

She never really cried over her college conquests. But then again, she was never like her tiny blonde cousin, who wore her heart on her sleeve. Lois's heart was tucked securely behind her ribcage, in a steel safe being protected by lasers.

"It's feels good." She replied.

"Huh?"

"To be a free woman," she clarified. Oh, right. He'd asked her a question, hadn't he?

"I should have known better," she said. "When I met Phil, I didn't hear any hallelujah choruses."

Clark chuckled.

Chloe swears, to this day that on the day she met Oliver, (which also happened to be the day she started her internship at Queen Industries.) That the heavens opened up and she could hear angles singing.

Lois had laughed out loud, at the story. Thinking that her cousin had been joking or exaggerating, a bit. But Chloe swears she heard it. And apparently so had Oliver, because shortly after their first meeting, Chloe was invited to a dinner and then, well the rest is really self explanatory seeing as they were married and expecting their first child, five years later.

"Some day you're going to meet someone and the angles will sing." Clark assured her, rubbing her shoulder thoughtfully.

"No," Lois said. "Hallelujah chorus's are overrated. I'd rather they do a rendition of _Is this Love."_

Clark snorted.

Lois lifted her head and slipped from underneath his arm, to lie back on the chaise. Clark went rigid for a second. This wasn't good. If she put her hands over her head, even to stretch, he would have to make up some excuse to leave or he might do something completely un-friend like.

"What's wrong?" Lois asked.

"Hmm?"

"You look pale all of a sudden. Are you feeling OK?"

"Fine," he replied shortly. Lois snuggled down further into the cushions. She lifted her legs off the ground and casually placed them across Clark's lap. Also, another position the two were often seen in. Except, it was usually at her place or the farm. Not on the green chaise they'd almost had sex on three years ago.

He blamed the heat coursing through his veins entirely on the damned piece of furniture.

"Smallville, come here."

_What!_ "What?" His voice cracked.

Lois curled her finger in a 'come hither' fashion. And, even though every sensible cell in his body was screaming at him not to, Clark hither-ed. _This isn't going to end well, leave! _His mind protested,but he could never say 'no' to her.

He twisted his body slightly, his right arm circled around her calves, (he thanked every deity he could think of that she had chosen to wear pants today, instead of a skirt.) so they wouldn't flop to the floor, due to the movement. Clark leaned down carefully, placing his free hand by her waist and leaning on it for balance.

"Yes?" Lois was looking at his hair. Clark frowned.

"You need a hair cut-no not a cut-a trim," she decided, running her hands through his long ebony locks. Clark bit back a groan.

"Smallville, seriously it's not that big a deal. It's just your hair is starting to hint at a mullet and that's never good." She explained, misinterpreting his almost groan.

She was unknowingly driving him crazy, the touch of her hands combing through his hair felt better than it should have. In a desperate move, Clark's right hand abandoned her calves to grab one of her wrists.

The laugh in Lois's throat died when she caught the look in her companion's eyes. They weren't bright with amusement or narrowed in annoyance. Instead, Clark's eyes were focused and dark and almost- hungry?

Lois gulped, unable to look away from his face, her pulse started to palpitate. Her blood ignited like fire, scorching within her veins.

"Clark?" She managed to whisper, her voice breathy.

He licked his lips; his hungry, lusty eyes moved from her wide hazel orbs to her lush, partly open mouth.

Lois shivered. Phil had never been able to arouse a fraction of this kind of response during their most intimate moments. And Clark Kent was able to set her on fire with one predatory look? _Oh, Jesus! This was Clark! _But the realization did nothing to deter how hot she felt under his gaze.

Lois stifled a moan, as the thumb that held her wrist started to move in circles on her pulse point. After a bit of resituating his other hand moved up to glide through her hair. Her breathing was becoming more labored by the second.

"Lo-is." He growled her name with husky passion.

The only coherent thought that her mind could form was that Clark Kent was going to kiss her. Every nerve in her body was on end waiting for him to touch her. _She wanted him to touch her. _

She hadn't felt like this since- the last time he kissed her. Of course, back then she had blamed the feeling of dizzying euphoria on the bubbly. But now, she was beginning to seriously doubt that explanation. Yes, she'd had a few sips of scotch and soda and it was good scotch, but it wasn't _that_ good.

He was leaning in and Lois realized she was leaning up, wanting to meet to him half way. Her mind suddenly pulling the memory of his lips on hers out of the dark abyss corner she had shoved it in. This only made her body more eager to meet his.

She was going to kiss Clark. Clark. Kent. Smallville. Farm boy. Her best friend.

His lips were moments away from hers; She could feel his hot breath on her skin-

"Hello?" The loud bang of the elevator doors opening caused Shelby to bark and Clark jerked away like Lois had just struck him, rather than almost kissed him.

"It's just us! We're in here!" Lois called. Clark blanched for a moment.

"Us?"

"No!" Clark practically yelled, jumping of the chaise. "Not us. Just Lois and I- not together."

"OK?" Oliver said slowly giving his friend and cousin-in-law a strange look.

"I was just helping Lois move in-"

"Move in?" Ollie looked at his wife, who suddenly turned pink with embarrassment.

"Oops. I forgot to tell you-"

"It's just temporary. A couple of days at the most," Lois cut in.

"Huh?"

"Well," Clark said rapidly, "this looks like it's a family matter so I'm just going to go." Then he turned to Lois, "I'm sorry, it was all that stupid chaise's fault. Bye."

He raced to the elevator and shut the doors, cursing himself. He'd almost ruined everything. He didn't have drunk Lois or Red K to blame, this time. It had been all him. _Stupid. Stupid. Stupid._

Clark slammed his truck door shut. He needed to go home and take a long cold shower.

Lois was still trying to get her heart rate under control. What did he mean by 'it was all the chaise's fault?' He was blaming furniture for what had just transpired?

Chloe cocked an eyebrow are her cousin, "what was that all about?"

Lois-still dazed and flushed and left feeling unfulfilled, shook her head slowly. "I'm not sure," she answered slowly, "but I liked it."

********

"Are you positive about this?" Chloe asked for the hundredth time.

"Yes."

"Two years, Lois. You want to throw away two years of a relationship because he took your dog to the pound?"

"It's not just that," Lois clarified. "It wasn't working out anyway. Shelby was like my wake-up call."

"Phil is a good man."

"Yes. But he's some else's 'good man' not mine." Lois tried to make her understand.

"I just don't want you to do something you'll regret." Lois's eyes softened. Her cousin was just trying to look out for her.

"Chloe, I would have regretted staying with him. I don't want to settle, anymore."

"Settle?"

"Yes. Phil was decent, but our relationship lacked on important thing."

"Which was?" Chloe asked.

'Spark." Lois started, 'chemistry, passion, that little umph!"

Chloe giggled. "Yes, 'umph' is important." She caught her husband's stare from across the room and they shared a smile.

"Yes." Lois agreed a little breathless, her mind wandering back to her and Clark and the green chaise. That's what she wanted- Clark Kent's brand of 'umph.'

"Lo?"

"Huh?"

"Are you OK? You look a little flushed."

"I'm fine. Uh, Chlo?"

"Yes?"

The sound of Lois's cell phone cut her off. She looked at the ID and frowned.

"Phil?" Chloe guessed by the look at her cousin's face.

Lois nodded slowly and took a deep breath before answering.

"Hello?"

"Lois?"

"Yes?"

"You're clothes are gone? What's going on? Perry said you called in sick." He didn't sound upset, just confused.

"I'm not sick, Phil. I moved out," she stated, "I left you a note."

"Oh," he paused for a minute. "I saw the note, but it doesn't make any sense. And all the coffee mugs are missing."

Lois almost chuckled. She's the one who'd picked out the coffee mugs. They were her favorite kind the big, round oval shaped ones, like the local coffee shops used. Except hers were in a different array of colors, not just white.

"Yes, I took those with me. You'll have to buy more."

"More?" He said, "but then we'll have too many to fit in the cabinets."

_What?_ "Phil, I moved out."

"Nonsense," he said in the 'parent voice' that made her want to smack him. "I'll just come get you and we'll talk about this tomorrow after work, before I leave."

"No. Phil there is no more 'we' _I've moved out_. _We're_ no longer in a relationship."

"Don't be absurd! I'm leaving right now, be ready when I get there."

"I'm not being absurd! Phil!" But he'd already hung up. Poor delusional son of a bitch. Lois cursed.

'What's wrong?" Chloe asked as Lois hung up phone and glared at it.

"He's coming over. He thinks I'm going to go back to him."

"Oh," was all her cousin could say. Then she perked up, "do you want me to get Ollie to scare him away?"

Lois shook her head. She didn't need her big bad cousin-in-law fighting her battles for her. The whole point of leaving Phil was to rediscover her old self. To get back to whom she once had been. She would deal with this problem on her own.

"No, I'll just talk to him. He'll have to understand, besides I forgot to leave my key."

"No!" Chloe latched on to his arm.

"Chloe!"

"Lois, you can't talk to him, now. Wait until tomorrow. Give him a chance to cool down! What if he's angry? I know you can take care of yourself, but Phil is a big guy!"

"Chloe calm down. He didn't sound mad on the phone and Phil's nothing but a big, dumb teddy bear. He wouldn't-couldn't hurt anyone, especially not me." She was almost absolutely positive about that. But the terror in her pregnant cousin's eyes didn't go away.

"Please, Lois." God, Chloe shouldn't be this stressed, it probably wasn't healthy for the baby.

"Fine. If it's going to cause you to go into early labor I won't go down. But just-"

"I'll be nice, I promise," Oliver's voice came from the other side of the room. He'd been listening to the entire conversation while rubbing Shelby's belly. "Don't worry, honey," he gave his wife a reassuring wink.

Lois wasn't as convinced as her moony-eyed cousin. "Ollie-" the brunette warned, "Just tell him I'll talk to him tomorrow. No threats." She knew how much he enjoyed being intimidating. And the fact that Phil was immensely bigger than he was would make it all the more tempting.

"I promise," the billionaire stated.

Lois raised her eyebrows at him.

"What? Do you want me to find a Bible to swear on?"

A few minutes later Oliver was informed that Phil was downstairs and wished to speak to Ms. Lane.

Lois was thankful, when her cousin-in-law returned two minutes later, no evidence of being hit or hitting anyone.

"What did you tell him, verbatim." Lois asked solemnly.

"I told him you didn't want to talk to him and that he would be escorted off the property."

"Thank you." Lois gave him a quick squeeze.

"No problem. Just stay out of my good scotch from now on."

Lois smirked. "We both know that's not going to happen. But I'll agree if it'll make you feel better."

Phil stared up at the Queen's Penthouse and cursed. That high and mighty man Lois had let her cousin marry probably hadn't even told Lois he was here. If she'd known he was waiting for her, she would have come down and they would have talked and she would have come with him.

Bastard!

Suddenly, a light came on from one the rooms of the penthouse. He could see a familiar silhouette leaning against the windowpane. The window was wide open. It was too cold to have the windows open didn't she know that? She could catch her death! And the blinds weren't shut either. Which were also extremely dangerous, especially in this city- peeping toms and burglars and even worse criminals were lurking out there on the streets, just looking for an open window. And Lois being as delicate as she was wouldn't stand a chance without him there.

She wasn't looking down at him her stare was far away. He thought about shouting up to her, but he didn't want to cause a scene. He'd talk to her tomorrow at work. They'd get this all straightened out and she would be moved back to the apartment by lunchtime. After, they dropped that dog off at the animal shelter, for good.

Phil watched as Lois reached up to shut the window and close the blinds. The sharp light from the room she was in, enhancing her hourglass figure. He could see the slope of her breasts and the concave shape of her waist and the rounded curve of her hips- and knowing that she wouldn't be sleeping next to him, in their bed tonight, caused his heart to contract. The blinds shut and he was left alone on the street. He felt her loss in his bones. No, not lost, his mind refused the thought. She would come back to him. Everything would be perfect again. They would get married and have sons and all of his plans would pan out. Tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow everything would be fine.

**TBC**

********

**A/N:** OK. You all know what to do..Hit that little green button and REVIEW! LOL. I rhymed! Thanks!


	5. Moving Forward

**A/N:** OK. So this chapter is for all of those readers out there who didn't quite understand why Lois was with Phil for so long. I hope I gave you more insight to that. Remember Lois is human and sometimes as human beings we get caught up in things we shouldn't. Also, this is a fairly long chapter, it spans over a few days and I don't think it's filler, it moves the story forward- I just don't think it's my best work, writing wise, but I wanted to get something out, however, I am pretty fond of the end and I do love the new character I introduced, She's going to be fun.

Remember this story is NOT beta'd (though that may change if I have to up the rating) so beware of grammar mistakes and whatnot. Thanks!

**Chapter five**

**Moving Forward**

"Chloe," Lois started quietly. Her cousin was sitting at the kitchen table with a big spoon and a pint of double chocolate fudge ice cream. It was late.

Well past midnight and after an evening of Chloe and Lois trying to catch him up on all he had missed over the past couple of days, Oliver had gone to bed shaking his head. He wasn't completely sure he understood the situation, but he had an early meeting in the morning and he was certain no matter what, Lois Lane would fall on her feet. She always had.

Lois was too wound up to sleep. She had spent the last two hours sitting on The Chaise and staring at the Metropolis skyline; her mind racing. She thought about her career rut and how reactive she'd been lately. A good reporter made the news, she didn't let the news come to her. Lois was pretty sure that was a rule, and if it wasn't she was making it one.

She thought about Phil and how she had been so asleep she'd let him walk all over her, like a doormat. The thought alone made her want to throw something breakable at the wall. She had no one to blame, but herself.

Then, to calm her rage her subconscious churned on the image of Clark, leaning down towards her with a purely predatory smile. Clark running his hands through her hair. Clark whispering in her ear. Clark making her laugh. Clark in nothing but fitted jeans, all sweaty-

That's when she'd heard a small clank, when her not so stealthy cousin was trying to satisfy her chocolate craving. She decided that maybe if she talked to Chloe she would feel better, at least about the small almost incident that she and her husband had interrupted.

"What is it, Lois?" Chloe's concerned voice pulled the brunette from her thoughts. Lois sat down next to her cousin and started fidgeting with her hands. She let the top row of her teeth graze her bottom lip. Should she tell Chloe? Shelby was dozing in and out under the kitchen table.

Lois finally found her nerve. "I have to talk to you about something," she took a deep breath, "Clark and I almost kissed!" She blurted out, so much for the build up.

Chloe's spoon fell out of her hand and landed with a clank on the table.

"What!" The pregnant blonde shrieked.

"Shhh!" Lois scolded, "You're going to wake up Ollie!"

"Sorry," Chloe didn't sound too apologetic, but she did lower her voice. "You and Clark _kissed_!"

"_Almost _kissed," Lois corrected. Chloe's big brown eyes widened with curiosity. Lois licked her lips and elaborated. "We were sitting on the green chaise by the balcony, just talking. And I was making fun of his hair and then he grabbed my wrist and before I knew it he was leaning down and-"

"Ollie and I ruined the moment." Chloe deciphered. "So that was what that apology was about."

Lois nodded and patted Shelby's drowsy head in her lap. "He blamed the furniture," Lois replied grimly.

Chloe looked thoughtful for a moment, "You and Clark, huh? I don't know Lois-"

'There is no me and Clark!" _But there could be._

"You just broke up with Phil!" Chloe pointed out. " I mean are you absolutely, positively sure you don't-"

"I'm begging you not to finish that sentence," Lois wasn't sure if it was the hormones or what, but much like her ex, Chloe couldn't seem to let go the fact that she and Phil were no longer together.

"I'm sorry, Lois. I know we've been through this, I just-"

"What?"

"Phil is a dependable guy. He loves you and he can take care of you, he's sturdy and devoted. Is trading all that worth a little 'umph?'"

"Yes." Lois said without hesitation. "There's no point in being in a relationship if there's no passion."

"What about security? What about protection?"

"I can take care of myself, Chlo. I want to be stand on my own two feet, re-establish my independence," Lois stated. "One of Phil's biggest problems was that he had the tendency to smother."

Once again Lois let her mind obsess over the last two years of her life. She had been spending the better part of the evening doing that, anyway. Wondering how she'd let herself stay with Phil for so long. Initially, she decided, she had been attracted to his confidence and the way he carried himself. He wasn't insecure or rude and he looked her in the eyes. Which was a vast improvement from her previous boyfriends.

He was respectful and sweet, at first. And soon, one date turned into two and two to three and so on and so forth. And he had such a calming, patient demeanor about him that she didn't even notice when his assertiveness had turned controlling.

It was so subtle and he was always so positive and sure, it was hard to logically doubt his decisions. Little by little, she ran out of arguments to say 'no' or to throw a fit. At the time she would tell herself, it either seemed too silly to fight about something so small or how could she argue with his logic, it made so much sense?

She should have known then-she should have realized she was slipping into a dangerous routine. She was getting pulled into the hypnotizing lull of settling. She was after all, almost thirty. She should be at least contemplating settling down, by now, right? She wasn't in school anymore, her career was thriving, and there really was no excuse. Most people, male and female were married and domesticated by the time they were her age.

And why not settle with Phil? Chloe was right, he was safe, he was a sure bet, and on paper he seemed like her perfect match. Too bad in practice they had about as much spark as a soggy cigarette.

"You know, the 'umph' doesn't last forever, Lo," Chloe's quiet voice interrupted her thoughts. "I mean after a while you have to work at it."

"Chloe, you can't work for something you never had." Lois dipped her own spoon into the tub of ice cream.

"I guess I'm just worried. Clark is a good guy- the best- don't get me wrong, he just-"

"Has relationship issues, often disappears without an explanation, seems like he always has the weight of the world on his shoulders?" Lois supplied.

"And that's only the tip of the ice berg," Chloe muttered more to herself than to her cousin.

A part of Lois knew that Chloe was right. Was it too soon to go after Clark? Did the socially acceptable, relationship-mourning period apply when you didn't mourn the relationship? Leaving Phil hadn't made her sad or upset. She felt free and rejuvenated. And Clark made her happy- could make her happy, if only temporarily.

That, and 'Umph' was addicting. And wasn't the whole point of her new self re-discovery about going after the things she wanted. And she wanted Clark. A lot. It wasn't like she was expecting a marriage proposal or anything. But then again, she and Clark were friends. Best friends. Completely crossing that line between platonic and romance would change their relationship forever. What if she lost him?

Dammit! Lois cursed silently. She hadn't been expecting things to be so complicated. But wasn't life about taking chances? She was sick of sitting on the sidelines, sick of being complacent. Was it worth the risk? Lois couldn't imagine life without her Smallville. Losing him would be like losing a limb or a vital organ.

But-

"Lois?" Chloe had spent the last few minutes watching her cousin's face twist and scrunch in thought.

Lois yawned and took a final bite of ice cream, " I'm fine, Chlo, really. Just a little tired, that's all. It's been a long day and tomorrow is probably going to be longer, so I'm off to bed." She rose from her chair and Shelby jumped up from the floor and followed her to her bedroom.

********

"Did you seriously break up with Mr. Golden boy?" Jenna popped up out of nowhere, as Lois entered her office. The brunette took the large cup of coffee from the intern's hands and managed a small smile. The Planet was practically buzzing about the split.

"Yep."

Usually, Lois didn't even bother learning her intern's names. There was no point. She had to track down stories and they had to basically, be at her beck and call. And all of her past intern's had been so intimidated by her they could barely look her in the eye, let alone hold an intelligent conversation. And to be honest, Lois liked it that way-until Jenna.

Jenna wasn't afraid of her. Even after all the Mad Dog Lane horror stories. On her first day, a little over six months ago, the eighteen year old strawberry blonde had marched into Lois's office one hand out stretched the other holding a Styrofoam cup, a bag of clothes hanging over her arm. "Hi! I'm Jenna Sharpe and I'm your new intern. I brought you coffee and your dry cleaning and I have a million questions." To both their surprises, Lois had smiled. Jenna reminded her of a younger, much less cynical version of herself.

At present, Jenna's face was breaking out into a mega watt smile. "Finally! Ding dong the shithead's gone!" The younger woman sang happily. Jenna was probably the only person at the Daily Planet who wasn't a Phil Connor fan. Lois asked her once what her problem was and Jenna had told her he seemed too good and too perfect, which meant he was probably a psycho and his teeth were too white.

"Jenna!" Lois replied, sharply. But the small grin that was tugging at the corner of her lips told the intern she wasn't really angry.

"I just want to say it's about time. So tell me, what happened?" She was practically chomping at the bit.

Lois gave her the gist of the situation. "Wait, when you left the first time, before you moved out, where did you go?" Jenna asked, trying to get as much detail as possible.

"I spent the night in Smallville." Lois said off handedly. She saw the glint in the teenager's eyes and cringed inwardly. _Oh, no_.

"Did you spend the night in Smallville or did Smallville spend the night in you?" She asked, suggestively wiggling her eyebrows.

Lois would forever regret introducing Clark to her intern. Well, she hadn't really had a choice. Clark had come by a few months ago to see if she wanted to go to lunch with him. He was in the city running errands. Lois had agreed and on their way out Jenna had spotted them and somehow, and Lois still wasn't quite sure how the menacing strawberry blonde had done it, wormed her way to going to lunch with them.

Since then, Jenna hadn't shut up about how great Clark seemed.

"It was nothing like that. Clark and I just friends." She didn't dare mention to Jenna about what transpired between them the night before. Good God she'd never hear the end of it!

"Uh huh." Jenna replied, unconvinced. "Tell the truth, you dumped that tool to be with a real man!"

Lois could practically see the black and white film running through Jenna's imagination. A handlebar mustached, Phil grabbing Lois and tying her to railroad tracks, And as Lois lays their struggling a train is seen in the distance and Phil twirls his mustache diabolically and laughs. But at the last moment, Clark in his cheesy Mounty costume, bursts onto the scene and defeats the villain with one blow and rescues Lois and they ride off into the sunset to live happily ever after.

Lois rolled her eyes. _Ah, to be young and idealistic._

"Jenna, get your head out of the clouds and come back to the real world. I need you to run downstairs and copy this for me," Lois handed her a manila folder.

"Aye, aye captain!" The way too energetic woman bounced out of the room.

Lois shook her head in amusement. She had meeting with a source about her sanitation story at noon, and she had a press conference at City Hall in an hour, but until then she was going to see what the housing market in Metropolis looked like.

Oliver had promised her he was going to call a realtor friend of his to help her look. But Lois figured she might as well do her homework and see what was available in her price range. After forty-five minutes, Lois realized, that wasn't much. And even less than she thought because most the apartments she'd looked at didn't allow pets.

Damn. Lois checked the time on her cell. She had to leave now if she was going to make it one time to the press conference.

********

"And when I got back, there was a bouquet of roses on my desk," Lois said doing little to disguise the annoyance in her voice.

"That's kind of sweet, when was this, again?" Chloe commented, distractedly,

"Yesterday after I got back from meeting a source." Lois answered, "And it wasn't sweet, roses are the most generic gift in universe," Lois replied, as the soft mechanical voice of her GPS system ordered her to take a left at the up coming street light. "It was just so 'Phil,' boring and predictable."

"Hey!" Chloe defended, " Oliver got me roses when we were dating."

"Chlo, there's a big difference in getting a bouquet and having an apartment filled with flowers. And if I remember correctly you didn't get a silly card, but rather a first class plane ticket to Monte Carlo," Lois answered.

"Point taken." Chloe smiled, reliving the memory for a moment. "So, what did you do with the flowers?" Chloe inquired after returning to the present.

"I threw them away," Lois said simply. "Then I called him to tell him to stop sending me gifts and also, to tell him that I taped the key to the apartment on the outside of his office door."

"And what did he say?"

"Nothing, I hung up on him before he could answer," Lois said, glancing at the dashboard clock. "He's probably half way to Pittsburgh by now."

"So, how far away is this place?" Chloe asked. It felt like she and Lois had driven to every corner of the city. Not exactly the ideal way one wanted to spend their Saturday. But she'd promised Lois that she would help her house hunt and this was the last place on the realtor's list.

The previous four places they'd seen were-either unlivable or Chloe refused to let her cousin inhabit a place where she had to sleep with a shotgun under her pillow and carry a can of mace just to take out the garbage.

"We're here," Lois, announced pulling into a narrow cracked driveway that matched the narrow, paint chipped two-story it led to. Chloe and Lois stayed in the car observing the house for a moment.

It was definitely old. Well, maybe rustic was the better adjective, a definite fixer-upper.

"How many rooms?" Chloe asked.

"Three bedrooms, two baths, plus a master bathroom," Lois answered opening her door. "Well, let's go see what it looks like on the inside."

"Is it safe?"

"I'm sure it's fine," Lois reassured her, "Linda would have said something if it wasn't. Right?"

"Good point."

Lois liked that the house had a sizable porch, big enough for a swing. She also noticed on the other side of the porch there was a rusty gate, which meant the backyard was most likely fenced in. Another good sign.

Lois reached into the mailbox next to the door and pulled out the key. "Here we go," she said as she unlocked the door.

She was sold as soon as she saw the master bedroom. It was huge. And she could already picture putting in an enormous bed against the opposite wall, a queen or king size. She had never had a big bed, before. Even she and Phil only shared a full size mattress. And with Phil's massive stature, Lois was always forced to curl up on the very edge of the bed. Phil wasn't the type who liked to cuddle or be touched when he slept. Which seemed strange considering how possessive he was.

But no more! Lois was going to buy a huge bed with a funky wooden headboard and sleep smack dab in the middle, stretched out in any position she felt like. And if she happened to have company, like say Clark Kent, the same 'position' rule applied. Lois smiled to herself at the thought.

Lois turned to her cousin, "I'm getting it."

Chloe's encouraging smile faltered, "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Lois affirmed, "the backyard is big and fenced in, the master bedroom is amazing, and really all the house needs a coat of paint and a little maintenance."

It was also a good twenty-five minutes away from the planet and a good thirty-five away from any elementary school. It was perfect.

For the sake of her cousin's hormones Lois let Chloe call Oliver so he could come out and take a look at the foundation, Lois didn't care if it was built on quick sand, she was buying it.

The reporter was pleasantly surprised when she saw Shelby jump down from the passenger side of Oliver's new sports car. The golden retriever jogged happily over to his owner and nudged her leg, letting her know how much he'd missed her. Lois crouched down and gave him a good head rub, "I thought I'd let the dog see what he thought of the house," Oliver said.

After fifteen minutes of exploring, Lois looked down at Shelby, "What do you think, boy?" She asked, and the dog lifted his nose from the ground and looked at her briefly, before continuing his own investigation.

"Looks good to me," Oliver said rounding the building for the third time, "it needs a few things, but nothing too major."

Lois smiled. She had just enough in her account to almost make a down payment she just had to go to the bank and convince them to let her take out a loan, which shouldn't be too hard. She had good credit and a stable job. There was no reason to turn her down.

She called for Shelby, and he came bounding happily down the stairs, "Welcome home, boy." She scratched behind his ears.

********

The next day Lois decided to stop by the farm, for two reasons. One: in his rush to get away from her the other day, Clark had forgotten his horrendous red jacket and two: she wanted to tell him about her new investment.

Those were the only reasons; at least that's what she kept telling herself.

Lois parked her car in the driveway and headed toward the barn, it was the middle of a Sunday afternoon, Clark was most likely trying to fix the ancient tractor his family had owned for the past fifty years. She'd once asked him why they didn't just get a new one if Old Reliable wasn't so reliable anymore. He had stubbornly insisted there was nothing unfixable about the tractor, so there was no need to buy a new one.

She leaned against the doorway of the barn and watched him. His back was turned to her as he bent over to tighten a bolt with his socket wrench. Nice view, Lois thought wickedly.

"Hey, Smallville," she greeted him after a few moments.

"Lois!" Clark turned around and smiled. That was a good sign.

"Here," she held out his ugly red jacket, "you forgot this the other day."

"Thanks," he took the clothing from her and draped it across the nearest workbench.

"I bought a house!" She blurted out.

"_You what?_"

"I bought a house," Lois repeated proudly. "It's on the out skirts of the city, it's got a fenced in backyard for Shelby."

"Wow. So, when are you moving in?"

"As soon as the bank approves my loan."

"Have you told Phil, yet? Blonde sources tell me he's not exactly getting the message that you two have broken up."

Lois put her hands on her hips. Blonde sources, huh. That could mean any three people to whom she was close too. She'd bet money it was Chloe.

"Blonde pregnant sources?" Lois asked.

"Sorry, Lois Lane's rules of reporting number one, always protect you source."

"_Know _your source," Lois corrected.

"Same thing," Clark insisted, smirking.

"No it's not!"

"It is to me," He said.

"Phil sent me roses," she abruptly changed the subject.

"Roses?" Didn't that idiot know anything about Lois? It would have gone better for him if he'd bought her Monster Truck Rally tickets, instead.

"Yep. With a card that said he was sorry and that he wanted me back."

"I heard he stopped by the Penthouse after I'd-left." _You mean ran like a coward_.

"Yeah, but Chloe wouldn't let me talk to him. She was afraid he might hurt me, which is ridiculous. I mean I know Phil is big, but he's harmless."

"I think Chloe should have let you talk to him," Clark answered.

"Why?"

"I think it would help him find closure if you explained to him why you left him," Clark suggested.

Lois bit her lip. "I think I'm going to go with 'we've grown apart,' what do you think?"

"Is it the truth?"

"A less harsh version of the truth," Lois said. She didn't want to hurt Phil anymore than she already had. He didn't deserve that.

"What's the cold hard version?" Clark asked.

"I don't think he really loved me. He just had this fantasy of what he wanted me to be in his head." She started, sadly. "Besides, we just didn't fit well as a couple. We had no chemistry." That was especially painfully obvious after the near heat stroke Clark had given her three days ago.

"I see," Clark nodded. "When he gets back from his trip you should tell him that. I think it'll help."

Lois smiled, "thanks, Smallville." She lingered for a few seconds then said, "Well, I better get going. I just wanted to give you a heads up on-um things."

"Where are you going?" Clark asked, curiously. Normally, Lois's Sunday's were spent watching old movies and playing guitar hero with him.

"Bed shopping for my new room," she told him before turning to head back to her car.

"Good luck!' Clark called after her. She didn't turn around, but she lifted her arm into the air as a thank you.

Clark's gaze lingered on the sway of his best friend's hips as she crossed the field to her car. He exhaled sharply, completely forgetting the tractor. Maybe he should keep an extra eye on Phil.

He believed Lois when she told him he was harmless. Clark had been around him long enough to know he was genuinely a good person, but the sport's writer's little bout of denial worried Clark more than it should.

Clark leaned against the broken piece of machinery and closed his eyes. Could he really blame Phil for his reaction? Clark did something he usually made an effort not to do; he tried to imagine himself in Phil's place.

What if he was the one living with Lois? Coming home every day to Lois. Walking through the front door of whatever little house she'd just bought and there she was, Lois typing away at her computer. Her face focused and straight, her brows furrowed so much, that the wrinkle above her nose became pronounced. Or, Lois lounging on the sofa in her sweats, chatting with Chloe, smiling at him as he walked through the threshold, or Lois showering-

Clark's brain immediately became distracted with the image of a very naked and wet Lois beneath a facet of cascading water her curves slippery and soapy and-

_Focus!_ Clark willed his mind to return to the task at hand. If he was putting himself in Phil's place, what if one day Clark walked through the door of their home and instead of Lois all he found was a note on the fridge_, Clark, I'm gone_.

No more Lois. His mind refused to even consider the thought with any sort of seriousness. No more Lois? No more banter. No more fighting. No more late midnight phone conversations. No more video game weekends. No more hearing her laugh or seeing her smile. No more _Smallville._

And if he was hypothetically putting himself in Phil's place, it meant no more sliding beneath the sheets of the bed they shared and feeling her warmth pressed against him. No more angling her head toward him and taking her mouth with his- no more feeing her body writhing beneath his in the throes of passion- er-hypothetical passions. And knowing Lois she would probably be on top-

Clark groaned. The bottom line was that he could understand Phil's denial. But the blonde ox was going to have to realize that Lois wanted out and there was nothing he could do to change that. He couldn't control her. He had to let her go. It was what she wanted.

Yes, Clark would keep an extra eye on Phil, just for precautionary reasons. It was really nothing more than a brother would do for his sister.

_Right. _

**TBC**

**********  
**

**A/N: **I hope you enjoyed! Please REVIEW! I really need to know what you think, good or bad...Just you know, not _too_ bad...I have a delicate ego..Thank you!

_Coming soon_…

The beginnings of a subplot story (which will tie into the main one, eventually) for Chloe/Ollie…You may see a familiar face in that one…er-well, read about a familiar face, at least.

Lois Lane undercover…. (I'm really excited about that one!)

Clark will be doing something… (Lips are zipped)

Phil is back to being…Creepy Phil….

Perry and Jimmy will make several appearances ….


	6. One of Those Days

**A/N:** Hey everyone! Thank you so much for your comments and patience! I know I haven't updated in a while, but my life has just been a little crazy the past couple of months and I had a little bit of writer's block for this story. But now, I know where I wanna go with it, so my updates should be more timely.

So, here is the sixth installment, I hope you enjoy!

**Chapter 6**

**One of Those Days**

Realization didn't hit Lois until it was too late. She pushed through the heavy doors of the bank on Second Street, early Wednesday morning and stood frozen in the threshold. She liked the bank on the east side of town better than the huge gaudy one by city hall, because it was smaller and the people were nicer.

She just forgot that this was also the bank that Alicia, aka Clark's ex, worked at. Lois tried to do a quick scan of the room, praying that the blonde wasn't working, but someone bumped into her and cursed.

Lois scowled and yelled, "same to you!" At the retreating figure, which caused several people to look at her.

_Nice one, Lane. _

"Lois?" A high familiar female voice called to her from across the room.

Dammit all! Lois plastered a wide smile on her face and gave Alicia a small wave. There was no avoiding her now.

"Alicia? Is that you? How have you been?" Did she sound as forced as she thought she did? Lois hoped not.

"I'm good. Please have a seat. What can I help you with today?"

"I need to fill out a loan application for a house," Lois replied.

"Oh," Alicia smiled a toothy grin, as she reached into her file cabinet and pulled out a manila folder. "I trust you have all the proper documentation with you?"

Lois nodded and reached into her bag and pulled out her own folder.

"So are you and Phil getting married?" Lois hadn't realized that her relationship with the sports writer had been known so, publicized.

"No." Lois replied flatly and a look of confusion crossed Alicia's face.

"I traded him in for a dog and a house." Lois supplied, hoping that explained everything. Alicia's bemused expression immediately turned sympathetic.

"Men." She stated in disgust, "you think you can trust them, then WHAM! They do a complete three sixty on you." She was violently sorting through the papers on her desk now.

"What?" It was Lois's turn to be confused. "No, I-"

"I mean take Clark for example!" Lois felt her jaw tighten. "He was a great guy-the perfect gentlemen. I mean it; I think he may be the last chivalrous man on earth. But one little mention of marriage or long term commitment and he's kissing you on the cheek and telling you to have a nice life."

Lois couldn't imagine Clark ever telling anyone "to have a nice life," but it was Alicia's break up story so who was she to nit pick?

"I'm sorry." Lois cut in trying to be empathetic.

"You know the only good thing about men?" Alicia the Bank Barbie Man Hater, asked seriously and Lois thought, _only one? I can think of several good things._ _Especially about Clark, since we're on the subject. _But Lois kept silent and waited for Alicia to continue.

"Sex." The blonde stated as if it was the obvious thing in the world. And really, Lois had to admit it kind of was. "And Clark wouldn't even give me that!"

"So, about my loan," Lois tried to get back on track. Thinking about Clark and sex only led to thoughts about chaises, which was bad.

"Oh, right. Sorry," Alicia said with minimal embarrassment. "I just need you to attach the proper documentation and sign here" She pointed her perfectly manicured finger nail to the dotted line marked with an 'x.'

_How cliché,_ Lois thought staring at the paper for a moment, if she signed, she would be tens of thousands of dollars in debt and most of her savings would be depleted.

However, she would also be establishing her independence- she would be a free self-sufficient woman who owned a house. And king sized bed.

"Do you have any questions?" Alicia asked noticing the reporter's hesitation.

Lois shook her head definitively, smiling as she signed.

Now she had to make a pit stop at the Planet then it was time to get her career out the slump it was in, Lois Lane Style.

********

"Look son, I know this thing with you and Lane has got you upset," Perry White said, trying his best to be sensitive. "But this is- well to be frank its crap Phil, absolute crap!" He slammed the Pittsburgh article on his desk, emphasizing his point.

But Phil wasn't listening; his mind was still reeling from his encounter with Lois earlier. He had been waiting for her in front of her office. She had come into work late. And when he saw her he smiled and said, "meeting a source?" Like they were still together, because really they were, Lois was just going through a phase. It would pass; she would realize they belonged together, he knew it.

But then she'd sighed and said, "Not that it's any of your business, but I was at the bank," she'd hesitated a moment then said seriously, "I'm buying a house," before she'd moved past him and shut the door of her office in his face.

To make matters worse he found out that it wasn't just any house, she was buying the dilapidated two-story on Apple Court. Their kids couldn't walk to school from there; they would have to take a bus. Not to mention how unsafe the building itself was. He'd seen the pictures. What was Lois thinking?

"Phil? Are you listening, son?" Perry's voice brought him back to the present. He didn't want to talk about the article. It was decent, not his best work, but Perry was seriously blowing it out of proportion.

"It's not that bad," Phil said, irritably.

"Yes it is. I won't print this, you'll have to rewrite it." Perry replied, solemnly.

Phil sighed and repressed the urge to roll his eyes, he didn't want to deal with Perry and he didn't want to rewrite the article.

"It's fine," he insisted ignoring the fact that his editor's face was turning a distinct shade of crimson the protruding purple vein on the side of his neck looked like it was about to burst open like a piñata.

"Dammit Phil!" Perry yelled, "it is not fine and you will rewrite it. I'm sorry that you and Lois broke up-"

"We didn't break up!" Phil interrupted angrily, "we're just on a break, that's all."

The anger in Perry's face dissipated, he sighed and gave Phil a pitying look and Phil thought, _stupid old man what does he know anyway?_As the editor handed his article back to him, "I want a new copy on my desk by the end of the day."

"Fine." Phil snatched it out of Perry's grip and stood up to leave. His thoughts turning back to Lois and the house she was buying. His stomach churned sickeningly at the thought. If she stayed with Chloe and Oliver then she would have to come back to him, if she bought the house-

He refused to finish that thought. She wasn't going to buy the house, there had to be some way to stop her.

Phil was almost positive Lois hadn't changed banks. They had always used First. And it just so happened that the president, Archie Reynolds, owed Phil a big favor. All he had to do was make one phone call and Lois would stay with Chloe and Oliver and be back with him before the end of the month.

Phil took his phone from his pocket and punched in Archie's number. He hesitated before pressing 'send.' It wasn't fair. He knew that. But the thought of Lois living in that unstable house, so far away from him and The Planet and the elementary school, with that damned dog-

Phil pressed 'send.'

********

Sadie Blodgett's strolled cautiously down the well-lit hallway. She kept her head angled to the ground in order to avoid the security cameras. She needed to get in, grab what she needed and get out. Trying to be as casual as possible Sadie tucked a tendril of honey colored hair behind her ear, as she made a sharp left at the end of the hall and ducked into a small narrow opening. She pulled her security card from the breast pocket of her navy blue jacket and slid it through the security system.

The small red light turned green and the quiet sound of air being released indicated that whoever was in charge of employee terminations was in big trouble. Oh, well it wasn't her problem. Sadie made her way through the door and down the corridor. This part of the building wasn't really any different from the unrestricted area, except for the fact that this particular section was where the boss's office was.

The third door on the left belonged to Mr. Trent Whitfield. After making sure the hallway was still vacant, Sadie tried the door. She was surprised to find the office open. This must be her lucky day. Once inside she quietly closed the door behind her and checked her wristwatch. She had approximately twenty minutes.

After removing the itchy blonde wig, Lois made a beeline for Mr. Whitfield's computer. She prayed that the naïve man put his trust into the somewhat laxed security system.

Lois pressed a button on the monitor and watched the screen light up. She did a mental victory dance. This guy was a reporter's dream! He had left his email open! Lois pulled out the USB from her inside her shirt and plugged it into the computer. This was going to be easy. Her reporter senses suddenly started to tingle.

Too easy. She hesitated a moment. No one new she was here, she hadn't even told Jenna about her undercover plans and the source she met was too bitter about being fired to turn her in. But there was something nagging at her in the back of her head. The door was unlocked, his email was still up- something brown caught Lois's eye and she turned her head. There lying next to the keyboard was a half eaten turkey sandwich and a bag of chips sitting on a crinkled paper bag.

Oh, hell.

Mr. Whitfield hadn't gone to lunch; he was probably getting a drink at the vending machines! As if on cue, Lois's ears picked up the distinct sound of heavy footsteps nearing the door.

She grabbed her USB from the computer; only managing to copy one or two emails, and frantically scanned the room. _Where to hide? Where to hide? _

The room was small for an executive office. A few scattered filing cabinets, a couple of sickly looking ficus, and the medium sized faux wooden desk, of course. Panicked and rapidly running out of time, Lois made a rash decision and climbed out of the sixty third-story window onto a narrow ledge.

She quickly scooted out of sight as she heard the doorknob turn.

_Don't look down. Don't look down. _

She clutched the USB to her chest for a moment before slipping it shakily into her bra. She silently made a deal with God that if she let Lois live through this, the reporter would never break the law for a story again- this week.

A man, who Lois assumed was Mr. Whitfield, sighed heavily and sat down in his plush leather chair, the most expensive item in the room. Lois pressed herself closer to the side of the building and hoped no one on the street looked up and thought she was a jumper. That's all she needed.

Lois took a calming breath. _In through the nose and out through the mouth,_ just like all of the meditation CDs Phil had bought her told her to, so she could achieve Zen. What ever that was.

But, balancing several hundred feet above a busy city on sliver of concrete, the special breathing didn't make Lois feel a bit relaxed or Zen.

OK, all she had to do what wait for this yahoo to leave the room again then sneak back into the office get her evidence and get out, preferably through the front door.

And that's exactly what she would have done to if the stiletto heal of her left shoe hadn't chosen that particular moment to break off.

Lois lost her foothold on the ledge and toppled over.

She shrieked.

_I'm going to die!_Her mind screamed. The scenery was blurring past her, a never-ending sheet of swirling grays and browns. She squeezed her eyes shut bracing herself for the unpleasant impact of the concrete.

This was it. This was how it was all going to end. Not because of a revenge-seeking hit man or in the cross fires of a war, or even martyring for a greater cause. No, Lois was going to be smashed into a cement sidewalk because of a traitorous shoe!

She was never going to get out of her rut. She was never going to see Chloe or Oliver again. She would never hold her godchild in her arms or have the chance to break in her new king sized bed with Clark.

Clark. She would never have the chance to tell him she-

Something solid and warm firmly grabbed Lois around the waist and the air that a moment ago had been moving vertically was now whooshing past her horizontally.

_Wait a minute- grabbed? _

Suddenly everything went still. And she felt her uneven feet gently hit solid ground. "You're OK now," a deep, almost familiar voice whispered in her ear. Lois's eyes shot open. She was standing perfectly safe and alive _and alone_ on the roof of the Daily Planet, not squashed on the sidewalk several blocks away.

She wrapped her arms around her middle and thought, _arms- it had felt like arms around her waist._

"What the hell just happened?"

Lois removed her shoes and strolled barefoot to her office in a dazed like state. She'd been falling to her death one minute and the next- what? And angel had saved her? No, a man had.

A flying man.

That voice, there was something about his voice.

"Coffee?" Jenna asked appearing in front on her.

"Only if it's Irish," the reporter replied, only half joking.

"Sorry I- what happened to you?" Jenna's large emerald Betty Boop eyes filled with concern as she observed her boss's disheveled appearance. Lois was clutching a pair of strappy shoes in one hand something blonde and ratty looking in the other. "Is that a wig?"

"It's been a long day," Lois answered, grimly taking the coffee cup from the intern. "Thanks, Jenna. You can go home early if you want." She didn't wait for a reply and entered her office, shutting the door behind her.

Once alone and caffeinated sitting at her computer, the cursor on her monitor blinking impatiently at her, Lois decided to momentarily push all thoughts of angels, flying men, stress induced hallucinations, delusions of grandeur, and faulty unreliable shoes out of her head.

Instead, she pulled the USB out of her bra and plugged it into her computer. Time to see if she got anything useful.

********

While Lois was trying to convince herself she wasn't insane, Clark was having what Oliver figured was an Alien's version of a nervous break down.

"You flew?" He asked when Clark had finished his story about saving Lois.

"Yes. I flew. In broad daylight in front of God and everyone!" He ran nervous fingers through his hair. "But I had to- she would've- I couldn't_ not_ save her!" The thought of Lois being smashed into cement made Clark's blood turn to ice.

"Calm down, Clark. I'm sure no one saw you. You said her eyes were shut the whole time, she didn't even have time to blink before you were gone."

Ollie sighed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You think?" Clark asked, hope filling his voice.

"Yes. I'm sure we would have heard something about a flying man, by now." He paused for a beat, "So, let's get back to the whole defying gravity thing, for a minute- you fly now?"

"I guess so." Clark smiled.

"That could be very useful to-"

"No. How many times are we going to go through this? It's better for me to stay out of the superhero business. I don't mind occasionally helping out, but there is no way your getting me to wear spandex."

"We're going to go through this as many times as it takes for you join and you're right about the spandex- tights are more aerodynamic."

"Ollie-" Clark's voice held warning in it, but Oliver rolled his eyes.

"Mr. Queen," Travis's voice interrupted. "Ms. Grant is here to see you."

Clark cocked an eyebrow at his friend.

"Important potential client."

Clark stood up to leave, but Ollie blocked his path. "No. Stay. She's a bit-"

"Flirty?" Clark supplied.

"That's putting it mildly," Oliver muttered. "She's done everything, but tear her clothes off and throw herself onto my desk screaming, 'take me!'"

"If you even consider it I'll literally fry you," Clark said, seriously.

Oliver furrowed his eyebrows, insulted. "I've already said to her point blank that it's not going to happen and she still won't leave me the hell alone. So, I figure if you're here-"

"I'll be a mild distraction." Clark said, "Oh, good. I've always wanted to objectified."

Oliver ignored him and pushed the button on the intercom, "thanks, Travis send her in."

Moments later a smartly dressed woman with auburn hair and light hazel eyes entered the room.

"Oliver," she cooed, and rushed over to him, but Clark stood up and cut her off.

"Hi, I'm Clark." He held out his hand and she shook it politely. She was pretty. But when she smiled at him it was cold and her hand felt like ice. Lois could give the chilliest glares in town, but her smile and her skin were always warm and soft. This woman did not sit well him.

"Cat Grant," her voice was a low and throaty.

********

Lois called Chloe a few minutes before she left and asked if they could have Wednesday Night Pizza Dinner at her new house. She had some major cleaning to do.

"Sounds good. Your bed was delivered today and Clark offered to bring it over," Chloe said.

"Well, there's the silver lining," Lois replied more to herself than her cousin.

"What's wrong?"

"Turns out my sanitation story is a bust. My so-called source turned out to be a bitter ex-lover, not a bitter ex-employee. I collected a few of place is clean." She decided not to mention her flying man-hallucination-thing.

"Oh, well you know what they say about scorned women," Chloe trailed off. And Lois thought her voice sounded a bit strange, but before she could ask Chloe said, "Well, I'll see you in few. Bye." And hung up.

Lois dropped by the Queen's apartment to pick up some of her things and Shelby before she drove to her new house. When she arrived her cousin was already there, broom in hand. The two cousins scoured the walls, hardwood floors, and dusted the railing and stairs on the first floor.

Then Lois decided she should scrub down her room since her bed was on the way. She swept the floor and wiped down her closet shelves and an ancient wooden dresser the previous owners had left. Then she moved to the windows.

She liked them; they were the shutter kind that you could push out, instead of slide up. Lois adjusted herself on the windowsill and twisted her body so she could clean the outside of the glass.

Lois glanced back and noticed a wrinkled, gray haired woman staring at her with equally curious gray eyes. "Hey, neighbor." Lois greeted and waved. The woman gave a slight nod of acknowledgement then shut her curtains. _So much for neighborly love_, Lois thought slipping back insider her new room.

She unknotted one of her bags of clothes and started unpacking. Chloe came up to help her and to escape the fumes from the cleaning products. If she never smelled _Pledge_, again it would be too soon.

"You OK, coz?" Lois asked, noticing Chloe's slightly green complexion. The blonde stood next to the opened window inhaling some much needed fresh air.

"Yeah, it's just this damn pregnancy. I can smell everything!" She looked down at Shelby who was panting at her feet. "I feel your pain." Shelby rubbed against her legs, then went and lied down next to Lois.

Something white caught Chloe's eye and she knelt down and pulled a chiffon nightgown out of one of Lois's bags.

"What is this?" She asked her cousin, eyeing the sheer fabric with interest.

"Oh, that? That's what I'm going to wear when the natives throw me into the volcano to appease the Gods."

"What?"

Lois sighed, "It's something that Phil bought me a while ago. I only wore it once, and it made me feel like a virgin sacrifice."

"Why did you only wear it once?" Chloe asked shaking the sheer gown a couple of times. It was in good condition, no holes or tears.

"Because when I put it on you could see right through it and Phil didn't like that. He's not really into sexy." In fact, Lois imagined, if it were up to her ex-boyfriend everybody in the world would have sex with as much clothes on as possible in nothing but the missionary position.

"Do you think I could have it?" Chloe asked, tentatively.

"Yes, please take it. And use it with my blessing." Lois smiled, "I bet Ollie'll go wild when he sees you in that!"

Chloe's face fell a little, "hopefully."

Lois eyed her cousin suspiciously, "there's something you aren't telling me."

"It's nothing."

"I'll be the judge of that."

Chloe started to nervously bunch the nightgown in her hands. "Well, do you remember me telling you about the 'umph?'" Chloe began. "How after a while you have to work for it?"

"Yes."

Chloe gestured toward the crumpled fabric between her palms, "that's what I'm going to use this for."

"Poor guy. He doesn't stand a chance."

"Let's keep our fingers crossed." Chloe said a little unsure. Then the doorbell rang and Lois went downstairs to get the pizzas.

They didn't wait for Clark because Chloe said the baby was hungry. So, Lois found some old picnic blankets and stretched them out over the living floor.

"So, what are you going to do for furniture, Lo?" Chloe asked, looking around the empty space.

"I have some of our old furniture from college stored at The Talon and," Lois hesitated a moment.

"What?"

"How attached are you to that green chaise by the balcony?"

Chloe eyed her cousin suspiciously, "Not very. It's yours. What are you up to?"

Lois smiled devilishly, "Who me? Nothing."

Chloe shook her head and held up her bottled water in a toasting gesture, "well, here's to seducing our men. Me with clothing and you with furniture."

Lois mimicked her cousin, "I'll drink to that."

A few minutes later Clark's truck pulled into the drive and Shelby jumped up and was already scratching at the front door before Lois was half way standing. _Traitor,_ she thought, but opened the door anyway, just as anxious to see Clark as Shelby was.

When Clark had finished helping Lois put red sheets on her new bed, he knew it was time to go. He should have left when Chloe had an hour ago that would have been the smart thing to do. And if Clark had been thinking with his big brain, he would have.

Staying alone in that room with that bed and Lois was not a good idea. He would do something stupid and definitely not brotherly. Because it was hard looking at the big oak monstrosity in the middle of Lois's bedroom and not think of her on it, in it, under him- _OK, definitely time to go. _

"Well, I should-" he started to say, but Lois cut him off, "I fell off a building today." She'd said it like "I went to the store, today."

"What?"

"I was falling and then-and then-someone grabbed me out of the air and- the next thing I know I'm on the roof of the Daily Planet." She sat down and Clark, against his better judgment, sat beside her.

"How did you fall off a building?" he asked.

"It was for a story, which turned out to be a bust, by the way. Anyway, I was hiding out on the ledge and the heel of my shoe broke and I lost my balance. I know it sounds crazy- but I think-" she shook her head as though she were trying to clear her mind. "I don't know what to think. I mean people don't fly. Right?"

"Lois-"

"Don't!" She turned to look at him; " I know what you're going to say, because I've been saying it to myself all day. This was not stress induced or a dream or a hallucination or anything else. This was real. He saved my life and I never even saw his face." A piece of chestnut hair fell into her eyes and Clark gently brushed it behind her ear. Purposely letting his fingers graze her temple.

"If you never saw a face, how do you know it was a man?" He asked, curiously.

"Because before he disappeared he said, 'it's OK you're safe now.'"

"Oh," Clark said. _Forgot about that_. "I believe you," he added a beat later before he could stop himself.

She smiled so brightly at him that he couldn't help but return it. "Really?"

He nodded, "really. If you say a flying man plucked you out of the sky, then I guess he did."

She threw herself into his chest and clutched his shoulders, pressing their bodies together, "I can always count on you, Smallville. You and flying men."

And Clark should have pushed her away and left, but she was so warm and soft and vulnerable, that he pulled her into his lap, instead. And she sighed into his neck and he inhaled the scent of her shampoo and they stayed like that for what seemed like hours.

Until, Clark forced himself to let her go before he let his libido over take him. _This is Lois!_ He told himself again, but the warning wasn't doing much good because his id replied, _it sure is. Take her. _

"I should go," he whispered, feeling cold when she finally untangled herself from him. "Goodnight, Lois." But he stopped at the door for a moment and looked back at her, "so, what are you going to do about the flying man?"

Lois licked her lips, then straightened her jaw, "I'm going to find him." She answered determinedly. How? She had no idea. But she would. She had to. Clark frowned, but didn't say anything.

"Goodnight, Smallville." She watched him turn and leave, sighed heavily then crawled beneath her new crimson sheets. Shelby hopped up and lied down beside her. She stroked his fur and stared at her new ceiling, her thoughts still on Clark. So, her seduction techniques needed a little work. Someday he wouldn't go. Someday he would stay and her big bed wouldn't feel so lonely.

**TBC**

********

**A/N:** I know I don't deserve it, but please review, Thank you!


	7. Just a Little Change

**A/N:** Phew! Just under the wire! I told you I'd have it up sometime this weekend.

**Very Special Thank You:** to my two betas (not sure if you both knew you were my betas…Hope this isn't awkward) drvr8 and Sarah AKA jobookjunkie…Seriously guys, I would have been at a total loss without you…You're the best …*hugs*

OK. Enjoy!

**Chapter 7**

**Just a Little Change**

Clark stared around the empty farmhouse and sighed, heavily. It was quiet, too quiet and too empty and too isolated and-just too much like a farm. Clark glanced at the clock on the wall, it was only eight o'clock and he had already finished his chores, using his super speed- something he hadn't done in a very long time. But it felt good to use his powers, freeing almost. And ever since he'd saved Lois he had been itching to try to fly again.

_This is dumb,_ he thought. History showed that Clark Kent and the hero business just did not mix. Who was he to play God, anyway? Just because he had special abilities didn't mean- how many times was he going to have this argument with himself? Clark's eye caught the Daily Planet application hanging in the center of the fridge. Lois had put it there months ago. She'd purposely moved all the clutter out of the way and situated the arrow magnets to point to it.

Maybe it was time for a change. Farm life wasn't exactly fulfilling. And, admittedly, he did miss journalism- maybe a move to the city would be good for him and- and if he used his powers only for the simple things, like helping old ladies cross the street or rescuing kitten's trapped in trees or the occasional mugging or fire, it wasn't _really_ playing God- it was exercising his right as a citizen, being a Good Samaritan. Yeah, that was it.

And the farm would be taken care of, Ben Hubbard had already told him he would look after it, not that there was that much to look after anymore. And moving to the city meant being closer to his friends- to Chloe and Oliver- and Lois.

Yep. This idea was sounding better and better by the second. Clark rose from his chair and snatched the application off the fridge. Guess it was time to cash in on that favor Perry White owed him

********

When Archie Reynolds called her, Saturday morning, Lois was leaning against the island in her new kitchen enjoying her first cup of coffee and picking at some toast she'd burnt in her new toaster. Hers. It was all hers! Lois took a moment to revel in how wonderful it felt to be a home owner- well an almost homeowner, anyway.

Then the phone rang and when Lois grabbed it, Archie Reynolds said, "Ms. Lane?"

And Lois answered, "Yes."

"I'm calling regarding your loan?"

"Yes." Lois perked up.

"There's a slight problem. We're going to need a twenty percent down payment, instead of ten."

"What are you talking about?"

"Your loan Miss Lane," he said slowly, "we're holding your first check until the closing date, and you can just bring us the rest by then." He paused for a beat then added, "you know how it is, you being a single woman and all, we just need a little more up front."

"Hey!-"And before Lois could call him a sexist pig, he hung up.

_She didn't have the money_. Lois slumped into her new kitchen chairs, feeling scared and angry. "OK," she said patting Shelby's head. He put his paw on her legs in a gesture of comfort. "We can figure this out," she told him.

The most obvious choice was to ask Chloe and Oliver for the money, but that was out of the question. Her pride wouldn't let her do that. She could do this on her own. She was independent and successful and-broke, at the moment- very broke.

Lois chewed her bottom lip. She still had a few thousand in her savings and if she could get a three thousand cash advance on her visa- she groaned thinking of the interest- then all she would need to do was win the lottery or rob a bank.

Fuck.

Lois put her head in her hands and Shelby whined. Last week she didn't even know she'd wanted a house and now she was terrified of losing it! _OK. Pull yourself together Lois!_ She chastised her self, draining the rest of her coffee. She needed a plan. Maybe she could pick up a second job for a few weeks? Lois snorted, _in what spare time?_ She asked herself. She was always at The Planet. In fact, if she didn't get moving she was going to be late.

Maybe she could ask Perry for a raise or an advance in her paycheck? It was worth a shot. Hopefully he would be in a good mood, today.

********

Phil was upset when Archie told him that the best he could do was have Lois put down more money, instead of turning down her loan completely. But at least that bought him a little time. Lois might even come to him for the money, which he wouldn't give her, of course. However, it would give him a chance to talk some sense into her.

Then she would see how foolish she was being, a single woman living on that side of town, in that house with no protection, no security? It was idiotic! And that's exactly what Phil planned on telling her, which was why he was standing outside her office waiting for her when she opened the door. Lois jumped back a little when she saw him.

"Lois, I really think we should talk," Phil said sternly.

Lois sighed heavily, "I really don't have time for this-"

"It's about that house." He continued, ignoring the scowl on her face, "I don't think it's safe we should-"

But Lois cut him off, seething, "The house is fine. And for the last time there is no _we_, Phil. There is _you_ and there is_ me,_ but there is no we, us, or ours! Now. Go. Away." Then she stalked off hell bound for the elevator.

Phil sighed.

It was frustrating because Lois was now putting all of her energy into some damn story and when she threw herself into her work there was no reasoning with her. If she weren't so focused, she would have talked to him, she would have listened.

He would have to make her listen.

Reaching a decision, Phil told Alex that he had to run an errand and he'd be back in about hour then he went to the house.

He parked on a side street then let himself into her yard through the alley gate. He eyed the house with disgust. It was such an eyesore, standing there looking dirty and ugly and gray and derelict. The paint was chipping, the porch steps were crooked; the thing had blue shutters for crying out loud!

There had to be something dangerously wrong with this poor excuse for a house. He walked around the building surveying the foundation and the drainpipes, which were a little rusty. It wasn't enough. He had to get inside. He had to see the awful hazards that waited for her there, and all the possibilities of convincing her to get out and move back to the apartment, where she belonged. Where he could keep her safe.

Phil jiggled the handle on the front door. Locked. He put some weight into the door to see if he could budge it, but all that did was alert the damn dog to his presence. Shelby appeared in the large front window snarling and growling at him. That dog was dangerous, Phil realized. It could turn on Lois, attack her or even, Phil shuddered at the thought, bite her. And he wouldn't be here to stop it if it did. Damn animal should be put down.

After giving up on the front door, Phil went around to the side with the vacant lot and tried the side door, but it was locked too. He tried the basement windows and after he put enough pressure on one of them the frame gave out and he was able to reach his hand inside and unlock it. It was a tight fit, but Phil managed to squeeze inside without further damaging the pane.

As he climbed the basement stairs he could hear the dog going crazy, barking and growling and clawing at the door. But Phil wasn't intimidated. As soon as he opened the door, he lunged for the mutt, but Shelby quickly retreated under the kitchen table, still bearing his teeth.

Phil gave up on the beast for a moment and walked around the kitchen. It smelled like fresh paint and burnt toast and coffee. Lois had her three favorite mugs hanging in a row off hooks by the stove, red, blue and yellow. Just like at the apartment. Maybe if he painted the kitchen in the apartment this color she would be happy and come back.

As Phil pondered the idea he accidentally walked too close to the kitchen table and Shelby snapped at his heels. Fed up and itching to get his hands on the mongrel, Phil grabbed the golden retriever by the collar through the legs of a chair and hauled him out in the open. Shelby yelped, but Phil didn't seem to notice as he kicked the dog out into the backyard. "And stay out!" He slammed the door.

Now back to business, Phil strolled through the first floor of the house noting all the dangers. Unfortunately, plaster cracks and paint drippings weren't exactly cause for evacuation.

He needed something more.

Phil moved into the living room. There were two blue Lay-z boy recliners, divided by an octagon shaped table. Phil recognized this furniture. They were in the apartment Lois had had before they moved in together. Underneath the table, where he knew they'd be, were Lois's magazine's stacked haphazardly on top of one another.

Phil smiled. Just like at home.

Her magazines weren't delivered to the apartment anymore and he kind of missed them. Well, he missed watching Lois leafing through them, curling up with the afghan Clark's mother had knitted for her and trying on the perfume samples or circling the items she wanted or reading over the latest celebrity gossip.

Phil let his hand glide over the sleek leather of the chairs, feeling its cool, silky texture on his fingertips. Then he touched the smooth glass surface of the table, and the glossy covers and bindings a few of the magazines. If he touched these things, they would be his, too.

On the other side of the room was the old green chaise from Chloe and Oliver's apartment. It was worn and tacky looking and didn't go with the decor. But if Lois wanted it she could have it at the apartment. With a nice slip cover, of course. Phil cocked his head to the side.

He could imagine Lois stretching out on it at night, relaxing and watching late night shows, and the news after they put Phil Jr. to sleep. And then he could turn the T.V. off and reach for her-

Phil immediately squashed the thought. He and Lois were not about sex. They'd never been about sex. They were about things that mattered. Things that were important and lasting like work and family. He turned his attention back to the recliners- they were safer to focus on.

Phil went back to the small octagon table and reached beneath it and pulled out an old magazine, one Lois wouldn't miss. He rolled it up and stuck it in his back pocket. Just a little keepsake until she returned home. As he looked up his eyes caught the face of the clock on the mantel.

He was running out of time, he had to hurry. His hand was on the front door, before he remembered that he had parked in the back. He was about to turn around when he saw four neat hooks hanging by the door with keys on them. He took the first one and tried it in the door and dead bolt. It was a match.

Of course Lois would keep a spare house key. Most of the doors had glass windows she had to have a key for both sides. And keeping it near the front door was convenient.

Phil closed his fingers around the key and felt its heat in his palm.

If he had his own key he could come anytime and look around. He could make sure everything was set for their future together.

But Lois would notice if the key was gone and he had to get back to The Planet, he was already late.

On his way out Phil opened the gate long enough so that the dumb dog would be trapped on the outside. Then he dropped the key off at a local hardware store where he knew the manager and asked for a duplicate.

When he got to back to The Planet he went into the phone booth in the lobby, shut the door, and called the pound to report a dangerous golden retriever that had bitten him, running wild on Apple Court. Yes, the dog had broken skin and should be put down. He told them his name was Harold Beck and gave a phony address so that the report would be official.

When he hung up, Phil felt a lot better, as though he'd accomplished something important. Even though he hadn't found anything wrong with the house, at least he had finally gotten rid of that damned dog, for good.

A few hours later, Phil returned to the hardware store and picked up his key, and went back to Lois's. The mutt was nowhere to be found, thank God. And his replica worked perfectly in the front door. He put the original key back in its place and as he was driving back to The Planet, Kathy Wright, from Animal Control called him and told him his dog had been picked up. Apparently, he had reportedly bitten someone.

"We've been having problems with him," Phil told her, "I really hate to say this, but it would probably be easier on everyone if you just put him down. I'll be in tomorrow morning to pay the fee." Phil hung up. He hadn't lied. Not really. The dog had been giving _him_ trouble and once everything went back to normal, the way it was supposed to be, life really would be easier on everyone.

********

Lois was officially having the day from hell. Not only did she somehow have to pull eight thousand dollars out of her ass, oh no, if that wasn't enough to ruin her day, her editor had also denied her request for a pay advance. Even after she'd told him she was on to something big, something that would, as cheesy as it sounded, change the world. Change everything! Perry of course, had told her to show him, not tell him. And that's exactly what she planned on doing, if she could ever find a decent lead!

For the last three days her ear had been glued to the police scanner. And sure a couple of minor bank robberies and a small electrical fire were enough to keep her busy, but there had been absolutely zilch on mysterious flying men. But then again what had she expected? The Lime Light was obviously not this guy's, M.O. Not that she blamed him, but- she needed to find him. Not just for a story, but for herself.

There was just so many questions she had to ask, so many things she had to know-

Lois looked at her cell phone and sighed. She should go home and see Shelby, it was an hour past lunch, but she couldn't chance missing something on the scanner. OK, she was officially obsessed. She'd take Shelby on an extra long walk when she go home to make up for her absence. He would understand. Lois sat back in her chair and chewed on the stirring straw from her coffee. She was getting restless; she was going to have to do something desperate soon, maybe-

Jenna burst through the door holding a sandwich and looking somber. "Here," she said handing the brunette the sandwich, "you need to eat." Lois took it, "thanks. What's wrong, kid?"

"Wrong? Oh, nothing- just men!"

"Oh, well. Just so you know that never gets any easier." Lois answered thinking of a particular farm boy.

"Oh, great!" Jenna collapsed into a chair.

"Are you going to tell me what happened or what?" Lois asked, turning the scanner off for the first time in three days. She was going to have to come up with something else a bit more hands on, to lure her mark.

"It's Jimmy-"

"Olsen?"

"Yes. I-I kind of- well I asked him to lunch and he turned me down."

"Idiot."

"I know. I mean I've known Jimmy for a while and I just thought- well really I was just kind of, you know, using him."

"Using him?"

"Yeah. Its just look at you! I mean you've changed Lois. When I first started working here you were, well you weren't as," she paused trying to find the right word, "colorful."

"Colorful?"

"Yeah, I mean I've been a fan of your work for a long time! I even cut out some of your college articles, and I was so excited when they assigned me to be your intern. But, all I kept hearing about was 'Phil's girlfriend the reporter.' But for the last couple of days it's just seemed like you've got your old fire back. You seem really- focused."

Lois blinked at her, "so what does that have to do with you and Olsen?"

"I wanted a change, too. I was sick of being the 'flighty intern'-"

"You're not flighty."

"Anyway, so I asked Jimmy out because he was older and more experienced and I thought, you know he would be exciting, but the safe kind of exciting, because he has that bowtie look about him."

"So," Lois said, "let me get this straight, you wanted to basically do a watered down version of the 'wild child' thing?"

"Yes. I mean my life right now is this internship and school. I go here and then I go home and study and study. And my mom is calling me every night asking me why I'm not taking harder course and I just-"

"Wanted something different." Lois finished, "Look, all I can tell you is- don't settle for what other people want for you, go after whatever it is _you_ want."

Jenna gave her a small smile.

"Now scoot. I've got to do some important reportery stuff."

"What are you working on, anyway?" Jenna asked, at the door.

Lois smiled. "Something big."

********

While Lois was having her heart to heart with Jenna, Chloe was across town trying to pick her jaw up off the floor. It was impossible. There was no way on God's green earth she was seeing what she thought she was seeing. No, this was some sort of pregnancy-induced mirage.

Cat Grant, in all of her long legged, tight-skirted glory was walking briskly across the freshly waxed linoleum floors sporting a new hair doo. Her hair doo- well not exactly her hair doo. Cat's was more sophisticated and layered and glossy. And when she walked it bounced like she just walked out of a Pantene commercial.

Chloe glanced at herself in the mirror at her desk. Her hair was flat and straight and definitely not bouncy.

Cat Grant was going after her husband. _Her_ husband! The horror in that thought alone sent Chloe's already raging hormones into over drive. She felt the tears on the rim of her eyelids, but refused to let them fall. That horse's ass!

"Look at that skank," Eloise Mitchell whispered next to her. "Her husband just died and now it looks like she's on the prowl for her next victim. Poor bastard."

Chloe nodded, numbly, poor bastard indeed. She watched The Skank slink toward Oliver's office. She was perfect. She had all the right curves in all the right places and her face was pretty and the color of her hair reminded Chloe of red-gold and it looked like it probably felt like silk.

And there she was, Chloe Sullivan-Queen, five months pregnant, short-legged, tired looking and hormonal, with boring hair. She couldn't blame him if he went for Cat.

Yes, she could.

Panicked and unsure of what else to do, Chloe grabbed her cell phone and dialed.

"Oliver is cheating on me!" Chloe said as soon as her cousin said hello.

"Who is this?" Lois asked.

"Your cousin! How many Oliver's do you know?"

"First off, calm down Chloe and secondly, Oliver is not cheating on you."

"Yes he is."

"With who?"

"Cat "The Skank" Grant. Where are you?"

"Who?" Lois asked again, still unsure of what was going on. "I'm at work. Now tell me who this Cat person is."

"She's the skank who goes after married men, like my husband!" Chloe was almost hysterical now.

"Did you catch him in the act or something?"

"Well, no. But he's changed Lois. He's changed ever since he found out about the baby."

"What do you mean?" Lois asked wondering where the hell this was all coming from.

But Chloe acted like hadn't heard her. "And today, that skank walked right into the office with my hair cut! Can you believe it? That's how she got her last husband, you know. She tried to be a better version of his wife. Similar haircut and clothing, and that dumbass had fallen for it! And now she's trying to put the moves on my dumbass!"

"What? Chlo breathe. Calm down."

But Chloe started sobbing into the receiver. "That's it, I'm coming over." Lois said.

"No!" Chloe shrieked. "I'm fine. Stay where you are. I can handle this. I'm OK, I promise."

"Are you sure?" Lois asked her story could wait if her cousin needed her.

"I'm sure," Chloe sniffed.

"OK. What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to rip my husband a new one then we'll either both see you later or you're going to have to help me get rid of the body, tonight."

********

Chloe shut her phone and watched as Cat waltzed into her husband's office, then immediately stared at the clock, counting the seconds, then minutes. Exactly, six minutes and thirty-seven seconds later, The Skank slid out of Ollie's door and Chloe strode across the room and barged in.

"Chloe?" Oliver looked up from his paper work.

"Care to explain?"

"About?"

"_That _woman!"

"What about her?"

"She wants you." Chloe stated, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well, I don't want her," he said.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to stress out about something that didn't matter. It's not good for the baby."

"But it does matter! I have a right to know when a skank is going after my husband!"

"But I don't want her!" He reiterated, "I'm not stupid Chloe, even if I did want her, which I don't, cheating would only get me a divorce and you half my stuff, plus I have my future family to think about," he said.

Chloe glared harder, "Well, your future family and I appreciate your gallant sacrifice."

"And I love you and the baby, of course," he added on too late.

Chloe rolled her eyes, which were rapidly refilling with tears. Damn her stupid hormones!

Oliver stood up and went to her, putting his arms around her waist and pecking her affectionately on the cheek. "I would never cheat on you. I love you." She felt the truth in his statement all the way down to her bones, and after several seconds she leaned into him, because he was warm and he felt solid. Like a husband should. And she was filled with so much love for him at that moment that she let her emotions have complete control of her body and without warning she attacked him.

Her lips crashed into his and she threw her weight into him and he was so surprised that he lost his balance and they ended up half way on his desk.

"I want you." Chloe said against his lips. "_Now_."

"Here?" His voice cracked like an adolescent.

"Yes." She pressed against him more as her hands tore at the buttons on his shirt.

He caught her wrist. "Anyone could walk in."

Chloe thought, _that hasn't stopped us before._

She furrowed her eyebrows at him, and wrenched her wrist from his gasp. "So?" Her mouth assaulted his neck. But Oliver gently pushed her away from him, "this room isn't exactly sound proof, hun," he rationalized, like he had been the past five months. Chloe stared at him with a blank expression trying to remember when she and her husband had become boring. Well, she hadn't, he had.

Dragging her to all those miserable business dinners and tedious board meetings. She remembered when they used to make up ridiculous excuses to avoid those kinds of events and spend the evening in bed with take out, not anymore. Now he dragged her to every. Single. One. And they usually stayed the entire time!

He hadn't touched her in months! And suddenly it struck her like lightening. She slid off of him and took several steps back feeling cold with rejection. He didn't want her. Not anymore. Not when she looked like a blonde blimp!

She'd read about this. She'd done her research, just like she had on Cat Grant. Lots of guys weren't attracted to their wives during pregnancy. A lot of them cheated. And Ollie didn't have the greatest track record before he'd met her.

Maybe he was just putting on a show. Telling her what she wanted to hear. Making her believe him. Maybe he was really seeing That Skank!

No. Chloe shook her head. She believed him when he told her he didn't want Cat. But he obviously didn't want her either. She knew he loved her, but like Tina Turner said, what's love got to do with it? And what if they ended up like one of those couples trapped in a passionless marriage? Staring at each other across the breakfast table wishing to be anywhere else, but there. Oh, God. This was what Lois had been talking about. She was right. What's the point of love without _umph?_

"Chloe?" Oliver's voice was soft.

They needed a change.

"I'm fine. I'm going." She said, her voice hard and determined.

"What's wrong, now?" He asked. He recognized that look; it was the 'you-are-in-so-much-trouble-but-I'm-not-going-to-tell-you-that' look.

"Nothing." The blonde replied, distractedly as she left. Chloe would use the nightgown Lois had given her, tonight. Let's see him say no to her in that! And if she played her cards right they would miss that stupid business dinner. It was murder going to those things and not being able to drink. Travis could take detailed notes.

********

**TBC**

**A/N:** All right. You know what to do- Press that lovely green button and talk to me! Good/bad/indifferent, please let me know what you think. Thanks!


	8. Loyalties

**A/N:** Thank you all for the comments/reviews I really appreciate it. *feels warm and fuzzy* I'm sorry for the late update RL has been a bit, eventful for the past couple of months. Anyway, without any further wait, here's the new chapter I hope you like it.

*A very special **Thank You** to my beta''s- they are amazing and patient. I really appreciate it, guys.

**Chapter 8**

**Loyalties**

Clark knocked softly on Perry Whites door before entering.

The editor and chief looked up at the threshold and smiled, "Kent! Good to see you! Well, don't just stand there like a bump on a log come in, come in!" He waved his hand forward.

"Mr. White," Clark acknowledged politely, smiling a bit nervously. The two men shook hands and Clark took a seat across from his old acquaintance.

"What can I do for you?"

"Well," Clark started nervously, "I want a job."

"A job?" Perry echoed, leaning back in his seat.

Clark quickly shoved the folder he'd been holding onto the Perry's desk, "these are some past pieces I've written. I know I haven't done anything in a while, but-"

The older man held up his hand, stopping Clark mid-explanation. He took the folder and started to flip through the articles, mumbling incoherently to himself.

Clark waited patiently for him to finish.

"Well, son," Perry said after what seemed like an eternity. "You've got some OK, stuff here. Not too shabby at all."

"Thanks, Mr. White," Clark smiled, unable to hold down the feeling of pride welling up in his chest.

"My only concern," Perry started and Clark found himself quickly deflating. He knew this was too easy. "You've been out of the game for quite a while, son."

Clark nodded in agreement. It had been a little over six years since he wrote his last piece. "I figure it's just like riding a bike, sir." He tried to sound more confident than he felt.

Perry studied him for a moment.

"I'll tell you what Kent- you show me you've still got talent like this," he held up the small stack of articles in his left hand, "and you've got yourself a job!"

Clark beamed back the editor, "sounds fair to me."

After Clark left Perry's office he immediately headed upstairs to Lois's office to share the good news. It had been five days since he'd last talked to her. Which was strange because he usually talked to her everyday. But Clark felt it was for the best. He needed to distance himself from her – put her in the back of his mind, which, if he was honest, was proving to be little more than a trial.

How many times had he picked up his cell phone over the past five days and almost called her? Emailed her? God, he was sounding pathetic. At least, this gave him a genuine reason to talk to her. They were, after all, going to be colleagues- sort of- maybe.

Oh, well it was good enough for him. However, when Clark reached Lois's office, Phil was there to greet him.

"Clark," the blonde man smiled at him. Clark nodded, feeling a bit awkward.

"You here to see Lois?"

Clark bit back a snarky 'here's your sign' comment and said, instead, "yeah, I just needed to talk to her about something."

"Well, according that little twit, Lois left about fifteen minutes ago."

"Oh," was all Clark could answer. _Little twit?_ He didn't mean Jenna did he? She was a good kid.

"Well, if Lois is gone I'll just-" Clark started, trying to keep his temper in check. The sooner he left the better.

"Wait," Phil put a hand on his arm to stop him, " I actually needed to talk to you."

Clark eyed the other man warily. "About what, exactly?"

"Lois. _" Surprise. Surprise_. "I know you helped her move-"

"Yeah. I mean we all did. Me and Chloe and Oliver," Clark interrupted, talking like a man with a guilty conscious. Which was ridiculous because Lois wasn't even dating Phil anymore.

"And I really appreciate that," The sport's writer continued, either oblivious to Clark's apprehension or blatantly ignoring it, "but I don't think it's good for her."

"What?"

"The move. The house. Everything. It's not safe, Clark. That neighborhood isn't a proper place for a single woman to live and that house is a death trap!"

"I don't think there's really anything you can do about it, Phil. Lois is happy there."

"I was thinking maybe you could talk to her. She listens to you. Just tell her-"

"No, Phil. I've known Lois for a long time. Once she makes up her mind, that's it." Clark replied, stonily.

Phil eyed him suspiciously. "I know you were there a couple of nights ago. I heard you didn't leave till late."

"So?"

"So," Phil replied, Clark could sense the hint of vexation in his tone, "Some people might get the wrong idea about you two. People who don't know you're like siblings-"

Clark didn't like where this conversation was going.

"Look, Phil I'm sorry about what happened between you and Lois," _Liar_. "But she's moved on and so should you." Clark left before Phil could retort.

********

Twenty-five minutes later, Clark pulled into Lois's drive way. He barely got the car in park, before he saw Lois leap from her porch and sprint towards him. "Lois?" He questioned as she hopped in the cab. "Drive." She ordered, her voice slightly hysterical.

"Lois what's wrong?"

"The pound. Go. I'll explain on the way."

Without a second thought Clark threw his truck in reverse and whipped out of the driveway.

"OK. Do you wanna tell me why you look like your having nervous break down, now?" He asked once they turned on Main Street.

"When I got home today Shelby was gone," she started, her arms already starting to flail about. "I don't know how he got out, he was perfectly fine when I left this morning. I made sure the gate was shut, there is no way he could have gotten out unless he suddenly grew opposable thumbs and learned to walk upright!" Her voice cracked. "So of course I ran outside to look for him. I mean he wouldn't have gone far, especially if he was hungry. I knew I should have come home for lunch today, dammit!"

"Lo-"

"So while I was screaming like a crazy woman one of my neighbors, Mrs. Fletching, the one with the fence, she told me that she saw animal control pick up a retriever hours ago. So I called the pound to tell them that they made a mistake, but they said there was nothing they could do, because I'm not the licensee. It's in Phil's name not mine. And he'd already given them the go ahead to- to," she couldn't finish the sentence. Clark heard her take a deep shaky breath. "So I call the murdering jackass up, but he didn't answer the damn phone! They said he bit someone Clark. Can you believe it? Shelby wouldn't hurt anybody. He's a lover not a fighter."

"I know," Clark replied trying to sound soothing. "We'll talk to them. Don't worry. Everything'll be OK, Lo. I promise."

"I was just about to leave when you pulled in." She said, trying to smile at him, but it came out as more of a grimace. "You always did have impeccable timing."

He took a hand off the steering wheel and reached over to her, squeezing her fingers reassuringly. When he tried to take his hand back, Lois grasped on to it. "You know I'm not the hand holding type," she told him, "so don't tell anyone about this."

The corners of Clark's mouth twitched upward. "Don't worry Lois. You're secret is safe with me."

They didn't talk for the rest of the way. The pound was a good twenty minutes away from Lois's house, so Clark had plenty of time to enjoy being close to her. The heat from her hand felt good and right. And he liked how the contours of her palm fit inside of his. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. Wondering what she was wearing underneath the gigantic yellow parka that made her look three times bigger than she was.

Thinking about clothing brought him back the colorful underwear he'd seen her packing into her bags- and then he pictured her filling them out, until he stripped them off of her and bounced her on that red sheeted king sized bed-

What the hell was wrong with him? She was in a dire state of emotional turmoil; her dog was danger for crying out loud! And all he could think about was getting into her pants? God! What kind of pervert would think about sex at a time like this?

His kind, apparently.

Beside him, Lois perked up in her seat, her hand slipping from his to point excitedly. "There's the dry cleaner's it's just past that on the right."

Clark turned into the shelter's parking lot- the shelter's _empty_ parking lot. The place was deserted, not a car in sight. Clark looked at the clock on his dashboard. It was little past six-thirty. "This isn't good." He whispered but Lois had already exited the vehicle, making a beeline for the front entrance.

Clark sighed heavily and began to follow her. Then stopped, he gazed at the dark building frowning. He changed his course and headed around back, where the dogs were kept. This place wasn't huge and it definitely wasn't over flowing with funds. Clark quickly searched the area and found the lone, strategically placed security camera. He used his heat vision to disarm that and the alarm system, knowing Lois she would find a way in some how or another, best to be safe than sorry.

As Clark rounded the corner back to the front of the building he saw Lois still attempting to force the front door open. She'd given up trying to pick the lock with a hairpin and was now trying to, Clark could only assume, bust it down.

"Lois!" He walked a bit quicker than humanly possible to her side. She was standing good two- two in a half yards away from the door, bending down slightly, shoulder forward. He grabbed her arm a bit more forcefully than he'd meant to. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Trying to rescue my dog!" She snapped back, glowering as she wrenched herself out of his grip.

"How is breaking your neck going to help Shelby?" Clark demanded.

Lois stuck her chin out defiantly at him, "I'm not going to break me neck, Smallville! I'm just going to break the door down."

"The steel door?" Clark questioned, dryly.

Lois huffed and folded her arms across her chest, "you got a better idea?"

Clark smirked, "You can get to the pens if you go around back-"

Lois was already in hot pursuit before the word, 'back' left his mouth. And as the sight of the pens came into her view she took off sprinting. Only to be stopped by a rather tall chain link fence. "Dammit!"

Lois was just about to start climbing, when a horn sounded behind her. She turned around to see that Clark was backing his truck up to the fence. She scrambled to get out of his way. Once the car stopped, Lois wasted no time clambering into the bed. She reached up on her tiptoes and was just able to grab onto the top of the fence, in one clean movement she hoisted herself up and over. Clark was hot on her heels.

The brunette dropped to ground and couldn't shake the feeling of déjà vu, as her eyes frantically swept across the half dozen pens. "Shelby!" She called out, pacing up and down the aisle. She caught sight of several auburn colored dogs, but none of them were Shelby. What if they had some sort of special kennel for the dogs that were going to be destroyed, like a death row for dogs? What if it was inside? What if she couldn't get to him? The panic that had started to bubble in her chest an hour ago was no threatening to boil over. Her throat was starting to burn and tighten. She was blinking back a couple of frustrating tears, when she heard Clark call out to her.

"Over here!"

_God bless that man!_ A wave of relief sang through her as she reached the kennel. Lois felt some of her nervous energy subside as she knelt down by the cage. Her dog whined and yelped on the other side. And Clark had to admit he looked pretty pathetic behind bars.

Shelby tried to nuzzle Lois's hand through the links, but could barely fit his wet nose through the hole. "I'm so sorry, Shelbs," Lois cooed. The reporter quickly spied the lock on the kennel and let out a frustrated growl. "Combination locks? Really?" She cursed and violently shook the pen's door, as if willing it to open.

Clark put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "It's OK. Now that we know he's all right, we'll come back tomor-"

"I'm not leaving him," the stubborn brunette put on, what Clark liked to affectionately call, her 'mule face.'

"Lois-"

"They'll kill him, Clark!"

"Then we'll get here _really_ early and-"

"No. I'm not leaving my dog. You can go, just leave me the blanket in the back of your truck. I'll be fine. It'll be like camping."

"Lois be reasonable-" Clark began as gently as possible, but Lois jerked out from under the hand that was still on her shoulder and fixed him with an icy glare. "That's what _Phil _would say! This is not about being _reasonable_. This is about loyalty and love and trust and betrayal, and _I am not leaving this dog. They are going to kill him!_"

"So, what? You're just going to sit out here and freeze to death?" Clark asked, crossly.

"No. I told you- leave me the blanket in your truck," she replied, jutting her chin out at him indignantly.

"I'm not leaving you, Lois!" Clark said, outraged that she would even consider it. "What kind of guy do you think I am?"

"Well, I'm not leaving Shelby. So whatever kind of guy you are, that makes two of us!"

Clark sighed and looked at the imprisoned Golden Retriever, who was now lying down against the wire of the cage, gazing up at him and Lois with sad chocolate eyes. Then he looked at Lois- immovable and irresistible and too damn iron-willed for her own good.

"Oh hell," Clark sighed.

Lois shrugged then took a few steps back from the pen. She was planning something. Clark could almost see the gears turning in her brain. He studied the cages too. They were pretty massive about ten or twelve feet width wise and eight or nine feet high, no top. He could, hypothetically, easily jump over, grab Shelby and jump back. However, distracting Lois long enough to do that was going to be impossible. There had to be a way- the brunette next to him suddenly ran toward the cage, and jumped on it.

"Lois what are you doing!" Clark grabbed her waist, swung her around and set her down on the ground.

She pushed him away, "I'm going to climb the fence and get my dog!"

"And how do plan on getting him out once you're in there? Throw him over your shoulder? He's a seventy pound animal Lois!" Was she trying to give him a heart attack?

"I'd figure something out!" She snapped, "It's better than just sitting here doing nothing!"

She made another move toward the fence, but Clark was too quick for her. "And what about the _other_ dogs, Lois? Did you even consider that some of them might- oh I don't know? Be dangerous? Have rabies?"

Lois bit her lip and for the first time eyed Shelby's temporary inmates. They were mostly big dogs, they didn't seem threatening, none of them were growling or baring their teeth, but Clark did make a point about the disease part.

Lois turned her head back and peered up at her friend, helplessly. "We have to save him."

How could he say no when she was looking at like that? Her eyes wide, sparkling with vulnerability her full mouth frowning beautifully. He had no choice. Clark nodded and walked calmly over to the chained door. With one swift hand movement he broke the lock.

"How did you-?" Lois furrowed her eyebrows at him, inquisitively.

Clark shrugged trying to look nonchalant, but his throat tightened slightly, "maybe it just needed a man's touch?"

Lois snorted, and Clark relaxed. "What's the plan?" She asked.

"I'll go in first and keep the other dogs at bay- you grab Shelby."

"Clark," Lois started, her voice quiet and worried.

"What?"

"Nothing." She shook her head.

"On the count of three, OK?" Lois nodded.

"One.

Two.

_Three!" _

Clark gingerly eased the gate open, a large pack of dogs were already waiting for him- jumping, barking, snapping, growling- including Shelby. Clark did the best he could, angling his body between the cage door and the overly excited animals. He managed to push most of them back long enough for Lois to swiftly, but carefully enter behind him, saying Shelby's name. The Golden Retriever bounced happily toward her, along with a few friends, and she grabbed his collar, leading him out. She shifted her body between Shelby and the rest of the dogs using her legs and hips to keep them inside as she pushed her own dog through to freedom. Once they were safely on the other side of the cage, she called to Clark.

"Oh, Shelby!" Lois collapsed on the ground hugging and the animal to her, whispering words of endearment. Clark tried hard not to feel jealous, or bitter. He was still trying to get away from the massive cluster of mutts- and Shelby was being kissed and caressed by Lois while he was seemingly trapped in a glorified cage with urine on the bottom half of his left pant leg. The irony was not lost on him.

After shaking off the last dog with his foot, Clark clumsily half-hopped half-tripped through the pen door. "You owe me for this." He said, grumpily.

"Anything you want," she told him and Clark thought of several things off the top of his head.

"Clark?" Lois said, after a minute, going a bit rigid next to Shelby. "Do you think this place has an alarm? Or a camera?"

Clark almost laughed. Of course, she would think of things like, security systems, after the fact. "I- uh took care of it while you were trying to break the front door down." He smiled sheepishly at her. Lois exhaled, "my hero," she beamed at him.

And Clark couldn't help but return her smile. "Come on let's go home. I think we've done enough illegal things for one night."

"Party pooper." Lois playfully shoved him.

********

"One of them peed on you?" Lois laughed, as Clark climbed into the cab of the truck.

"It's not that funny," he grumbled, fumbling for his keys.

Lois, however, begged to differ, "Clark you were marked. You're some jail dog's bitch, now. I hope his name was Bubba." She laughed harder.

"Go ahead, keep on laughing see if I ever help you rescue anymore dogs ever again," Clark said, pretending to be hurt.

Lois managed to keep her giggles under control and reached for him. Clark tried to ignore how close she was to him. "You know I really do appreciate what you did, Clark." He glanced down at her, her beautiful hazel orbs open and grateful.

Clark bit back a groan and tried to focus on the road and not the fact that Lois's breast was pressing into the side of his arm or that he could feel her breath on the nape of his neck or-

"Are you cold?" Lois asked, when he shivered involuntarily.

"No." Definitely not cold, in fact, Clark was so 'not cold' that he told himself that he was not going in to her house when they got there. He would just drop her off and keep the motor running. He'd have to tell her about the job, later, on the phone when he was at the farm and she and her tempting curves were here, far, far away.

Lois leaned her head on his shoulder. Maybe he should just slow down and let her jump out. Clark, in spite of himself, was glad to have her so close- leaning against him- touching him. It felt natural. They stayed like for several long minutes, riding along in a comfortable silence. Until Lois moved to look at him, "so? Have you been thinking about what you want?" She asked, innocently.

Clark jerked the steering wheel sharply. Could she read his mind?

"What?" he gulped audibly.

"Well, I told you, you could have anything you wanted for saving Shelby."

"Oh," he laughed nervously, "that, I uh-oh, look. We're home!" Clark flung the car into the driveway.

"You wanna come in for a celebratory drink?"

_No_. "Sure."

Clark took a deep breath before following Lois and Shelby into the house. How had, _drop her off and keep the motor running,_ turned into _going inside for a drink_? But he didn't want to go home, yet. He wanted to stay with her, be near her, just for a little longer.

_Besides_, Clark told himself _what could it hurt?_

**TBC  
**

_********_

**A/N: **Please leave reviews/comments. I'll take what I can get *wink wink* Thanks!


	9. Two steps forward, Three steps back

**A/N:**OK. OK. It's finally here! *drumroll* Hope you like :) Thanks for all the comments everyone. I'm dead on my feet, right now so forgive me for not responding to all of you- I just want to say I appreciate all the feedback!

And also a very special thanks to my beta's :) *hugs*

Enjoy.

**Chapter 9**

**Two Steps Forward, Three Steps Back**

Lois didn't take her eyes off of Shelby for the whole ten minutes he was outside in the backyard sniffing around. Once he'd made sure to re-mark all of his favorite spots he trotted contently to the door and Lois let him in. Shutting the door tightly behind him. She wasn't taking any chances. Lois took a deep breath. Clark was in the living room- and so was the chaise.

She went to the freezer and took out the cheap bottle of sparking grape juice she was chilling and poured two glasses. Her mouth felt dry so she gulped hers down in one swig, and refilled it before she made her way to Clark and the chaise. Shelby, as if sensing her apprehension, followed closely behind.

She found Clark on the other side of the room digging through her limited CD collection by the stereo. All of her good music was still packed away at the farm. She had to remember to drop by and pick it up, one of these days. He was standing there holding up one of her CD's looking as hot and heroic as ever. She'd made her decision, she told him he could have anything he wanted- and she knew what he wanted, even if he didn't know it yet.

"I got us some juice. Music?" She asked hoping her voice sounded even. Clark immediately dropped the CD in his hand, looking guilty.

He turned to her, "no."

It sounded like he was saying 'no' to more than just the music. But Lois continued to smile and watched as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. Had he always been this sexy when he was nervous? Lois would like to think she would have noticed before. Maybe she had on some subconscious level.

Heart pounding madly against her rib cage, Lois strolled over to the stereo and handed Clark his glass, then she picked up the CD he'd dropped, _Whitesnake's Greatest Hits_, and popped into the tray and pressed play, the sounds of _Slow n' Easy _filled the room and even though Lois liked the song, she turned it down so that she and Clark could talk. Well, at least she could. He was being rather monosyllabic at the moment.

Realizing she was still in her frumpy yellow parka Lois, as gracefully as the coat allowed, slipped it over her shoulders and through her arms and tossed it over the back of the nearest chair. "Let's sit," she smiled walking all the way back across the room to plant herself on the green chaise.

But her jacket fell from the seat and Clark moved quickly to pick it up. He meant to drape it across the cushion, but when he turned around he saw Lois lounging unassumingly on the cursed green chaise, he froze. He hardly noticed when her jacked slid from his grip. His mind was suddenly bombarded with images of her- Lois smiling up at him- Lois under him- reaching for him- her eyes cloudy- leaning toward him with her flush mouth partially open- He shook his head trying to get rid of the memory.

"Why is that here?" He asked his voice breaking slightly.

"Oh, Chloe said I could have it," Lois replied nonchalantly, hiding a victorious grin by taking a sip from her glass.

"It doesn't really go well with the room," he stated, snobbishly.

Lois frowned. What did he think she was going to do? Have a fit right there and demand he remove it from her sight? If that's what he thought he was dead wrong. "I like it," she replied, "It's different. Now come and sit with me," she patted the seat just like she did that day at Chloe and Oliver's.

Clark took a swig of juice, he was suddenly extremely parched and it felt like the heat had kicked up in the house. "I'll just stand." He replied, but he was unable to stop himself from moving towards her anyway. "This isn't a good idea." He mumbled to himself.

Damn that sweater. The mystery of what Lois was wearing under her coat was revealed, and in that moment Clark wished it had stayed unsolved. It was her soft blue V-neck sweater and she was sitting on the green chaise and her hair was down. She almost never wore her hair down. It was usually in a haphazard ponytail or bun. He loved it when her hair was flowing and messy. And the soft wavy strands spread across her shoulders and back, like a river of shiny chocolate silk. He wanted run his fingers through it. Everything in his mind was telling him to _Get out. Run. Now. _But he didn't he just kept moving toward her.

Lois took another long drink of juice wishing it were beer instead, but that was dumb. She didn't need alcohol; everything was going to be fine. And this time Oliver and Chloe wouldn't ruin it. Things had heated up for them before on the chaise so why not now? She unbuckled her boots and felt the cushions sag as Clark cautiously sat down beside her. He had strategically placed himself as far from her as he could.

"You know I'm really grateful for what you did tonight, Smallville." She observed him from under her eyelashes. He body was tense, his left foot tapping nervously and he seemed to be frowning grimly at the wall, leaning back on outstretched hands. One of them, Lois noticed was behind her. His blue/green eyes were wary, but also dark; and Lois felt a small spurt of electricity spark in her veins. She liked when his eyes were dark.

After removing her boots and placing them to the side, Lois sat up and scooted nearer to Clark, leaning casually against his arm. "You really are my hero, you know that?"

"I don't fly," he lied.

And Lois smiled. "That's all right. Flying is overrated anyway," she lied back.

Clearing her throat a bit, she maneuvered closer to him, grinning like a Cheshire cat, her pulse going into overdrive.

"You know you're driving me crazy, right?" He admitted.

"Well, I was sort of hoping," She started, trying to sound diplomatic and sultry at the same time. "I've been thinking about this a lot-"

"This is a bad idea," Clark repeated, his face like stone, "you're Lois and I'm Clark-"

"Well now that we've got the introductions out of the way," Lois replied sarcastically reaching for him. He was so quick that Lois didn't even see his hand move, but she felt the delicious heat of his thick calloused fingers as they wrapped around her wrist. Tiny pinpricks of pleasure spread out over the skin of her arms, making her feel warm and safe like when he'd held her hand in the car.

"You like holding my wrist," she observed. He'd done the same thing at the Penthouse, not that Lois minded. In fact Lois didn't mind one little bit. Wrist holding could be extremely fun in the appropriate situation.

"I mean it Lois, this is not-," he swallowed, releasing her and starting again more firmly. "This is not what I want. You're my best friend. I need to keep it that way." _Coward,_ the voice inside his head mocked. _What are you afraid of? It's Lois- tell her. Tell. Her._ But he ignored it.

If Lois didn't want him so much she would have kicked him out for being such a wimp. She couldn't believe he'd used the 'friend' line on her. What were they, fifteen? "Then why are on this chaise with me?" She countered feeling smug- and horny.

"You're right. It's the chaise," Clark said, looking everywhere but at Lois, "Classical conditioning. It's not me it's the chaise. Let's go somewhere else, how about the porch?"

"It's too cold to go to the porch and I happen to like this chaise," she said, and he finally looked at her. His eyes were dark and hot on hers and Lois felt her throat go dry.

"Me too," he replied, his voice going an octave lower like it had before. And Lois licked her lips and leaned in closer to him. "You know, we can't just keep ignoring it," she said, "this thing between us."

"I should go," he said, with no intention of leaving.

"No you shouldn't," she whispered, her face inches from his, "stay."

Clark dipped his hand into her hair. And Lois closed her eyes because it was real, not a fantasy and it was Clark. It was the latter thought that caused her to hesitate a bit. It was Smallville. _Her Smallville._ And she was breathless and nervous, but most of all she wanted him-

"I still think this is a bad idea. And I still think I should go. But it's the only thing I've been able to think about lately, so- just this once." And that was even more stupid because Clark was kidding himself. Just once? Ha! If he had her once he'd want her again and again and again- forever and that terrified and warmed him at the same time.

His hand slid to the back of her neck to bring her mouth closer. "Maybe it really was just the alcohol that one New Years." He said, kidding himself, "maybe this will be really horrible and we'll never have to do it again."

And he leaned in closer to her and Lois was vibrating with anticipation and excitement and fear because she was so close to him and she could feel the radiating warmth of his skin against hers and she was amazed at how dark his eyes were- then his lips barely grazed hers- a ghostly touch- almost like he wasn't there. Soft and light, making her stomach clench and her breath hitch, tantalizing her until she wanted to grab him and force his mouth harder on hers.

She fisted her hands in the front of his shirt, pulling him closer. He moved his mouth against hers purposefully, teasingly, igniting the sparks in her veins so that they flared and melted into liquid fire.

She tried to add more pressure, but when she leaned in he pulled away. "Damn. Not horrible," he whispered and she said, "_Shut up, Smallville_." And he obeyed, kissing her harder this time, his hand holding tightly onto the back of her head, keeping her in place and Lois squeezed her fists harder in his shirt, and pressed against him to make the kiss last longer- forever. He pulled back again and Lois kept leaning forward, she was practically in his lap, trying to find him again, to lure him back in.

"Bad idea," he warned, his voice raw and deep and wonderful and he was looking down at her with lidded stormy eyes.

"Kiss me. _Hard._" Lois demanded, wrapping her arms around his neck and he drew her tight against him, easing her back so that she lay trapped beneath him in his arms. And she stretched against the lovely length of him, reveling in how solid and anchored his felt.

One of his hands moved to slide up her jean-clad thigh to the hem of her shirt, rough hot hands that made her nervous and feverish at the same time. This was Clark, it seemed dangerous and exciting, but also safe because it was Clark and he was kissing her- long sweet minutes of kissing her- Time dissolved while he kissed her- thrilling her because he wanted her so much and he was so deliciously rough.

She pressed her body up against his and he shuddered, pulling at her hips and licking into her mouth. She felt his tongue touch hers and he pushed her further into the cushions with his hot weight, wedging a knee between her thighs. And Lois dug her fingernails into his back, arching to be closer to him, because she liked the feel of his firmness against hers and she wanted to share his heat.

He was harder than she was used to, more cut, less careful. She tried to match his rhythm as he kissed her and moved against her, but it was confusing because there was so much heat and it was Clark, adamant and hot on top of her, taking her mouth in ways no one had ever taken her body. But still _Clark,_and that kept getting in the way and making her breathe faster. And she could feel Clark's heart pounding as frantically as hers was.

Then he eased a hand up her side, bunching the thin worn material of her sweater. The heat from his hand scorched her skin. And Lois tensed, this was Clark and he was moving his hand under breast, then over, cradling it and applying pressure. And Lois sighed and shivered because it felt so good and because she was almost positive she could hear the faint chords of _Is This Love_. Her angels were singing. And she smiled against Clark's mouth, wondering if he heard it too. She wanted to ask him, but she didn't want him to stop kissing her, more. She would ask him later. Much later.

Clark started to tighten his hand on her then stopped. His body rigid and now immobilized, and Lois popped her eyes open, to look at him and saw the darkness in his orbs filter out and she pressed frantically against him trying to get the friction and heat back, she could still hear the music playing, it wasn't too late- she grabbed for him in desperation, but he retreated, pulling away from her to sit up.

"_What?_" She growled, propping herself up on her elbows glaring at him- then it finally clicked in her brain. It wasn't the angels that had been singing while she kissed Clark- it was her damn cell phone! Lois bit back a groan and glared at her companion. "What do you do, pay people to interrupt us?" She snapped.

He was already off of the chaise, looking down at her helplessly and breathing hard. Lois hit the 'ignore' button on her phone and cursed. She was going to kill her cousin. That was twice Chloe had cock blocked her! Just because she wasn't getting any didn't mean the rest of the world had to suffer!

"It was just Chloe. Come here." She moved toward him, but Clark back-pedaled, almost tripping over Shelby, who lying down on the floor next to them.

"Lois, I have to go," he said.

"No you don't," she countered, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Please don't start." He replied, "that wasn't supposed to happen- I-"

"Un-fucking-believable! You're doing this to me again!" She glowered murderously at him, raising her voice because she felt like it.

"I'm sorry," he said dumbly.

And Lois gaped at him like she was ready to commit a homicide. "No you're not. But you're going to be!" She said slowly, with controlled anger.

"Lois, I- this- I swear it's the chaise!" he pointed an accusing finger and Lois rolled her eyes. _Great, he's back to blaming the furniture!_

"Do you do this to every woman you date?" She asked, eyes narrowed, hands on her hips, "grope them then blame the nearest inanimate object? You're right you are out of your mind!" She picked up the nearest pillow and flung it at him. It didn't do any damage, but it made her feel better. "Is that why you married Lana? Because some chair forced you into it!"

Clark looked at her bewildered, "Lois, please, look I just can't- it's _you_-" Lois let out a low warning noise and Clark was glad looks couldn't kill because if they could he'd be dead. Powers or not, he'd be dead.

"I didn't mean it like that, Lois." He backtracked quickly, "I'm just having a really bad day."

"Having a bad day?" Her voice was low and dangerous and her temper flared. "_You're_ having a bad day? The bank turns down my loan, my editor refuses to give me a raise, my dog was kidnapped, I can't find a _single goddamed_ lead on this 'flying man'" her voice rose to a shriek- "And to top it all off my best friend blames the damn furniture every time he touches me! But _you're_ having a bad day! _I don't think so!_" She threw another pillow at him, aiming for his crotch. He stood there and let it bounce off of him.

He blinked twice letting all the words roll over him. "Wait a minute. The bank turned down your loan?"

"_Forget the loan._" She inhaled deeply trying to calm down.

"Look, Lois I'm sorry, but this," he waved his hands towards the chaise, "this was a mistake. A big mistake and we'll just pretend it never happened."

"The hell we will!" Lois shot up to face him directly. "Clark Kent, I am calling your bluff! You wanted this just as much as I did-do!"

"Lois-"

"I know you, Clark, and you don't do this. You don't kiss and then back out. I mean I know Alicia said you were a prude, but this is [i]me![/i] And I'm pretty sure you never kissed her like that!" She paused. "Right?"

"No. I never kissed her like that" he'd never kissed anyone like that "And the fact that it's _you_, makes it harder and- " he broke off. "Alicia called me a prude?"

"It doesn't matter. You don't kiss someone like that and then not follow through!"

"I was going to follow through- I _wanted_ to follow through- but" Clark abruptly stopped talking and stared at her for a moment. What was holding him back? His secret? That might be part of it- however- there was something else- something he couldn't quite put his finger on. She glared up at him flushed with anger and her hair was in disarray- and he wanted to grab her again, except-

"But what?" Lois snapped, interrupting his thoughts.

"But you-" he made an indeterminate hand gesture trying to force the words he needed, "I just can't. I've been thinking about doing it, God knows that's all I've been thinking about and then I look at you and you're Lois. You're not some fantasy, and I-" God he was mucking this up! "And you don't know- and because you don't know it wouldn't be fair or ethical, I'm pretty sure. At least I used to be sure- I mean- I just can't. So we're not going to. Ever. We'll just pretend this didn't happen and we'll go back to the way things were, when you were just Lois and I was just Clark and we were just friends. "

He pushed past her, knowing what he'd just said didn't make an inkling of sense to either of them. His head was spinning- He needed to think- he couldn't think when she was around. Clark grabbed his coat off the tree. Lois was hot on his heels.

"You know you can't just keep erasing time and rewriting history like that. It happened. You kissed me!" She pressed.

He shrugged into his coat and ran nervous finger through his hair. Fingers, Lois thought, that had just been on her. "You _groped_ me!"

"I don't want to talk about it." He reached into his pockets and pulled out his keys.

"We're not doing this again. No more big eyes at me on the chaise!"

"What? So it's my _fault_ now?" She was outraged.

"Yes." His voice was sharp, but Lois didn't scare easily. One of the few perks of growing up with the General; she followed him through the dining room and under the archway to the front door.

"This is your fault. You bring the damn chaise here and pull your hair down and wear that damn blue sweater!" He let out a growl of frustration. "Ever since you found Shelby you've been different and you never used to let your hair down and you've never tried to seduce me on the chaise and I hardly ever thought of you in that way before-mostly."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Lois questioned, flailing her arms exasperatedly. "You've had hot thoughts about me before?"

"Not this much! Just every once in a while," He lied.

"I can't believe your going to leave me like this!"

"Good night, Lois," and after the door slammed shut behind him, Lois yelled, _"The hell it was!_"

The reporter stalked back into the living room and Shelby sniffed at her feet. She scratched behind his ear, "He's in denial," she told him. "He thinks the only reason he wants me is because of the chaise?" Shelby let out a whine and Lois said, "yeah, I don't buy it either." Lois stomped into the kitchen and pulled the tequila and a shot glass out from under the sink. She was about to down her first round, but _Here I go again on my own,_ started playing over the speaker and Lois cursed, "what are you? The fucking sound track!" She stormed back into the living room and violently punched the stereo off. Then went back to her drink.

After she had calmed down considerably and thrown back a couple more shots, she decided to call Chloe, back. Her cousin was about to get a substantially loud piece of her mind!

As soon as Chloe answered the phone, Lois went off, "I just want you to know that you have the worst timing- Ever! Everything was going great then my phone goes off and Clark tells me he has to go and the only reason he felt me up was because of that damned chaise and-"

"Lois?"

"Oh, and did I mention the fact that I might be losing my house? This sexist bank manager calls me up this morning right in the middle of breakfast and-"

"Lois please-"

Something about the tone of Chloe's voice made Lois halt mid rant.

"Are you OK?" She asked, suddenly.

"No. You can have your nightgown back if you want it."

All of Lois's anger, evaporated- her cousin sounded as depressed as she felt. Plus, now that Lois thought about it, chastising an already hormonal pregnant woman probably wasn't the best idea.

"You too, huh? Was it because of a piece of furniture," the reporter empathized.

"What?" The pregnant blonde's bemused voice made Lois's lips quirk.

"Clark just left. He kissed and groped me then turned me down- blaming the chaise."

"That's-"

"Totally retarded? Yeah, I know."

"I'm sorry if I ruined anything," there was a subtle tremble in Chloe's voice and Lois knew she was close to tears.

"It's all right. You didn't know- it was probably for the best anyway," she lied, then changed the subject. "So what happened with Ollie?"

Chloe took a long shaky breath. She really didn't want to relive it. It had been humiliating and she still felt cold with rejection.

She'd been so excited about the gown. It was sexy, in that subtle kind of way. Not too revealing but still, Chloe had thought looking in the mirror, you could see the dark circles of her nipples and the apex between her thighs. Her stomach was slightly swollen and growing bigger by the week. This was probably her last chance to wear something scandalous for a long, long time.

And if Ollie looked horrified when he saw her in this she was divorcing him and Cat could have him! Doing a quick once over and making sure her hair and make up were in tact, she plastered on a mega watt smile and opened the bathroom door.

"Are you getting dressed already, honey?" Oliver walked through the door then stopped to take her in. She leaned, in what she hoped, looked sexy against the frame.

"What do say about staying in tonight?" She cooed sashaying toward him, swinging her hips, sensuously. And when she reached him she wrapped her arms around his neck and he kissed her hard and fast. Just like he used to, pressing their bodies together and she wanted him so much in that moment she was breathless with it-

Then he pulled away and said "is this because Cat? Is that why you're doing this? I already told you I don't want her." And Chloe went stiff and her heart felt heavy in her chest.

"I'm not doing this because of The Skank-"

"Honey, I already told you- I'll say it ten thousand times if you want me too. But you don't have to do something like this. And we have to go to that dinner tonight, it's important."

"I don't need you to say it ten thousand times! The Skank has nothing to do with this!" Well, if she was honest with herself this may have a little to do with The Skank, but Chloe wasn't going to tell him that!

"Save this for tonight, when we get home-"

Chloe stopped listening because she already knew that he was talking out of his ass. They wouldn't get home till at least midnight and they both had work in the morning and Ollie would stay up for two extra hours going over this file and that file. She wanted to throttle him.

"Just forget it!" She cut him off and stomped back into the bathroom, tears rolling the down her cheeks. He started to apologize, but she slammed the door in his face, hoping it broke his nose.

"Chlo?" Oliver called through the door.

"I'm not going tonight! I'm tired!" And I might kill you!

Now, relaying the story to Lois, Chloe wondered if maybe she had overreacted. No. She hadn't. He was being an obtuse ass. And he needed to stop it!

"I just want-" Chloe tried to explain to her cousin, "I just want to feel that _umph_ one more time before the baby comes. He or She will change everything and I feel like if we don't have this last little bit of excitement we might never get it back. And then when we're old and been married for thirty-five years and the kids are gone he'll tell me he's been having a long time affair with Cat Grant and-"

"Ollie would never have an affair, Chloe! Don't be absurd!"

"I know. I know." But she didn't know. He didn't act the same anymore. He didn't want her. Ever. She just knew that if Ollie continued to ignore the rut there were in, they'd never get out of it and they would resent each other for it and by the time they figured it out it would be too late.

She and Lois said goodbye and Chloe crawled into her side of the bed and snuggled down in to the covers. She rolled over and scooted the edge of the bed, as far away from her husband's side as possible. She'd locked the door and threw his pillow and a blanket into his office- he would've ended up sleeping in there tonight, anyway.

**TBC**

********

** A/N: **Thoughts?


	10. Leaps of Faith

**A/N:** Thank you guys for all the comments! You know I eat it up!

**Chapter 10**

**Leaps of Faith**

Phil let out a sigh of relief when he saw the blurry lines of Clark's truck hurl out of Lois's driveway, through the slightly foggy, rain-streaked windshield. He knew he didn't have to worry about Clark, as a romantic threat. But Lois's neighbors didn't know their relationship like he did. If Clark stayed too late they might start getting ideas. And, he didn't want Lois's reputation ruined. Phil let out a breath as he wiggled uncomfortably in the small front seat of the Camry.

Tom was a lot lankier than he was. He regretted not asking someone else a little closer to his body type for their car. Like Rob from accounting, he drove an SUV. But it was too late for that now. He'd been parked infront of Lois's wretched shack, for twenty minutes, already. He purposely borrowed a different car for his impromptu stakeout. There was no way he could've brought his own; Lois or Clark would have noticed and Lois would probably be mad if she knew he was watching her house.

Besides, he hadn't meant to come out to the house tonight, anyway. But after he heard Lois's angry message on his phone, he felt he should check on her. And not to mention, it was a moonless night and this neighborhood was bad and the house could collapse at any moment. He just needed to see she was OK.

He'd had to fight the urge to storm the porch and make her come with him back to their apartment, several times. It was taking longer than he thought to convince her they belonged together. She'd been like this at the start of their relationship, too independent-too stubborn to know what was best for her. It had taken patience then to break her down and that was exactly what it would take to break her, again. This was just a phase, he reassured himself while subconsciously stroking the magazine he'd taken from her house, through the nylon of his jacket.

He'd already thumbed through it, countless times and felt its glossy smoothness with every digit of his hand. It made him feel connected to her. Like they were still together. Like she was still living with him. When he got home he'd place it under the coffee table, just like Lois would have done- will do, again. He corrected himself. Now that, that damn dog was going to be destroyed tomorrow, everything would go back to normal. Tomorrow, Lois would tell him she was sorry and that she wasn't buying that awful house and that she wanted to come back home.

And if she didn't, maybe he would have to show her how dangerous it was when a woman lived on her own. He wouldn't do anything horrible or sadistic. He wasn't some sicko. He didn't want to see Lois get hurt, but if it finally knocked some sense into her-

He'd just show her that she needed him to protect her, that's all. Something small, but significant so that she would finally open her eyes and realize that without him she wasn't safe in that house or anywhere else. Yes, that was it. He'd just have to make her see, and then she'd come home to him. She'd probably beg him to take her back!

He held onto that last thought, gripping it like a life preserver. Maybe she would cry? Fling herself into his arms? Fall to her knees?

With only his fantasies keeping him warm, Phil watched the house, unable to keep the grin from his thin lips. He didn't leave until hours later when he finally saw the light in Lois's upstairs bedroom, shut off.

********

Clark was about half way home when what he'd just done finally sank in, completely. Pulling the car over to the curb, with the hazards flashing, he sat there in the dark and listened to the icy rain hit the top of his truck in a hard, thundering staccato.

Lois wanted him. The thought alone sent his pulse into overdrive and blood rushing southward. She'd been more than willing to tear off all of her clothes and throw caution to the wind! And what had he done? He'd panicked and ran. Everything had happened so fast- he hadn't had to think- and when he'd finally gotten control over his raging hormones, the fear and doubt and guilt started to seep into his conscious. Now, he just had to figure out why.

Wasn't this something he'd, always wanted? For Lois to tell him to kiss her- no champagne, no Red-K, just Lois looking up at him with trusting, wide eyes swimming with desire. Just Lois, laid out on that damn chaise like some wet-dream fantasy meal, waiting for him to devour her- he could almost hear her sighing into his mouth, feel her solid warmth, writhing under the palms of his hand- her sweet eager lips straining against his- Clark let out a frustrated growl. He clenched his hands tightly in his lap, so his wouldn't smash the dashboard into pieces. What the hell was his problem? Taking a few deep breaths, Clark thought back to the issues he'd had in his previous relationships.

With Alicia it had been a simple matter of trust, or lack there of. He'd never been able to pin point why he'd never felt completely comfortable with when they'd been alone together, something just always felt- off. Perhaps, it was because every time she flashed that sugary sweet smile or kissed him too hard, he felt like she was trying to manipulate him. Into doing what? He hadn't stuck around long enough to find out.

With Lana, it was different, she'd found out his secret long before they were married. He had no reason not to trust Lana. Even though, she'd been a little uneasy about his heritage when he'd first told her, they'd worked through it and she proved to be an exceptional secret keeper. The problem with him and Lana was that their entire relationship had been nothing more than a pipe dream. He'd fallen in love an idealistic fantasy of what he thought Lana was- and not the real woman. And when the masks had been lifted, neither had liked what they saw.

But he knew Lois. Lois was the most in-your-face person he'd ever met. It was one of the things that used to grind his nerves, when they'd first met. She was just so- real. She was the girl without any secrets, the one person he could always count on to be direct, honest and forth coming, even when he didn't want her to be.

In hindsight, he was more jealous of that aspect of her than irritated. He knew every single one of her flaws, inside and out and loved her more because of them. She was rude and bossy and stuck up- but she was also, brilliant and passionate and loyal to a fault. Trust wasn't an issue, either. He trusted her implicitly. She may have a big mouth, but she would never betray someone she cared about. Perhaps, he was hesitant because he was afraid of what she would think of him when he told her.

He remembered Lana's deafening silence and terror filled expression when he'd told her and now the image of Lois's face scrunched up in fear as she ran screaming from him, flashed in his mind. He cringed away from the thought.

Could he risk scaring her away? Lois was the strongest person he knew, but even she had her limits. Telling your best friend you're an extraterrestrial was not something he could take lightly. There had to be a way he could show Lois his- less than human side, without her knowing that it was really him. He wouldn't be able to take it if she rejected him or worse, was afraid of him.

But if he wanted Lois, it was a risk he would have to take- before he jumped into bed with her. And if he'd stayed with her tonight, that definitely would_ not_ have happened. He already had enough guilt in his life as it was, he didn't need to add to his generous supply.

Making up his mind. Clark decided he'd stick to his semi-plan to become a low-key hero- perhaps he'd be able to kill two birds with one stone. Lois would get a few leads on the flying man that saved her and he would get his story for Perry White. It was worth a shot. And if it turned out, Lois was not afraid of him-_ that_ side of him- then he'd tell her- everything; then he'd finish what they started at her house on that damn green chaise.

********

The next day, Clark entered a place he'd been avoiding like the plague for years, the First Bank on Second Street- the bank that his ex, Alicia, worked at. He knew she didn't owe him any favors, but he had to try, for Lois's sake.

He walked hesitantly toward her desk watching cautiously while she was scanning over some paper work. She looked exactly the way she used to, young and beautiful and nothing he wanted.

Finally finding his courage he cleared his throat quietly, "Excuse me." He saw her eyes freeze on the document in her hands. It was several moments before she glared up at him.

"What do you want?"

Clark sat down across from her. "I need some information." He ventured.

"Bank related?" She asked, her voice crisp and frigid.

"Yes, but not about my accounts," he started, but Alicia cut him off.

"You're here about Lois, aren't you?" She sounded somewhere between disgusted, envious, and in awe.

"How did you know?"

She gave him a look. "Because I know they upped her down payment and I know you've been in love with her for what, Clark? Ten years, now?"

"Uh," Clark wasn't sure how to respond to that. "Look, I know you're still mad at me-" He began, but once again the blonde cut him with a scoff.

"I am completely over you Clark Kent, don't flatter yourself!"

Crap. That had been the wrong move. She looked furious, of course she didn't have the talent that Lois had for summoning all the fires of hell, but she was still a woman he didn't want to enrage.

Attempting to do some damage control, Clark went straight to the point. "Why did they raise Lois's down, payment?"

Alicia shrugged and sat back in her chair. "I'm not sure. All I know is someone called Mr. Reynolds about the loan a few days ago and all he said he could do was up the down payment." She lowered her voice and leaned forward. "This isn't exactly the first time this sort of thing has happened, either. Well, the first time with Lois, but a whole lot of other clients, too. Mr. Reynolds has his thumbs in a lot of pies."

Clark absorbed the information. "How much did Lois's payment increase?"

Alicia wrote a number down on a piece of paper, folded it once and slid it over to him. Clark opened the scrap up and whistled lowly. "Damn." He looked up at his ex-girlfriend, "and you're not sure who called."

The blonde shrugged and shook her head, "sorry."

All right. If he couldn't find the culprit, he'd do the next best thing. He knew Lois. She would rather listen to ABBA's greatest hits on loop than ask Chloe and Oliver for money. And God knows she'd never approach him- so there was only one thing to do.

Clark smiled his best heart warming smile. "Listen, Alicia I know things between us didn't end smoothly. And I know I have no reason to ask you any favors, but-"

"Clark Kent you are not going to ask me what I think your going to ask me. There is no way I can transfer-"

"It's nothing major. And I know you can make it look legit," he hoped appeasing to her ego would help.

"I could lose my job!"

"Lois could lose her house!"

"Clark-"

"Think about all those clients who got screwed over, Alicia, all the big wigs that made money off of other people's calculated bad luck. Do you really want them to win?"

Alicia hesitated a moment then shrugged in defeat. "Fine. I'll do it." She gave him a poignant look. "But you owe me."

********

While Clark was downtown persuading Alicia, Jimmy Olsen was on the roof of the Daily Planet trying to do the same thing with Lois.

"This isn't a good idea, in fact, I'll go so far as to say this is a _really_ bad idea." The cub photographer looked as though he were about to wet himself.

Lois rolled her eyes. "Don't be such a wimp, Olsen. Nothings going to happen to me I'll be fine. You'll see." The reporter was presently standing on the ledge of the Daily Planet rooftop, peering timidly over the edge. God, it was a long way down.

"Look, Ms. Lane- I mean Lois- it's not that I don't believe you about this, uh flying man- er, but what if he's busy else where? You know saving F1-50's from crashing or something." It was his final plea to talk a little reason into Mad Dog Lane.

"Listen, Olsen I know what I saw- experienced. This guy is fast- I mean super fast. As long as he hears me screaming, he'll come." Hopefully. She tagged the last part on silently. There was a small, insignificant, chance that her flying man could not show up in the nick of time to sweep her off her feet-

However, she couldn't think about that possibility, or she'd lose her nerve. Like Clark lost his last night. Crap! She promised herself she wasn't going to think about Clark. Was it her fault the guy had some weird complex? She knew what she was getting in to she knew all about his phobia of commitment, she wasn't naïve. And she hadn't asked anything of him besides his body. It wasn't like she'd spouted off marriage and long-term relationship babble or anything.

Lois Lane and Clark Kent in a relationship, why did that thought have sound so appealing to her? She knew it was never going to happen. The man wouldn't even have sex with her! Still, she couldn't help but let her imagination indulge momentarily. She'd trap him in her new King sized four-poster and never let him escape.

"Lois?" Jimmy Olsen's slightly high voice brought her back to reality. She had to stop thinking about Clark. He was in denial and she could figure out what to do about him later. Right now she had bigger things to focus on.

"I'm fine, Jimmy. Look, I don't know what else to do, this guy has been a complete ghost ever since he saved me. I mean you would think a guy with abilities like that would be out trying to save the world or something?"

Jimmy shrugged and fidgeted with his camera. "I don't know. But I do know throwing yourself off a roof, could be misconstrued into suicide. And I'd probably be arrested because they'd say I was an accomplice and-"

"Will you please do me a favor, and locate your balls Olsen? This could be your big break. First exclusive picture of "the flying man" by James Olsen, Perry would finally stop making you do doughnut and coffee runs. Hell, you might even get your own desk in the basement."

That made Jimmy pause, thoughtfully for a moment. Lois could see his eyes shining at the prospect. She knew that look well; it was the look she wore when she broke her first major story. It had been Raymond Sacks, a corrupt DA. She'd had the headline framed. It had been her first front pager, and had earned her, her first Kerth award.

Jimmy face changed from hopeful to anxious, as he pointed out quietly, "what if you wind up flattened on the pavement?"

Well, on the Brightside she'd never have to face Clark, again. "That's not going to happen. I'm telling you, he'll come."

"And you've checked out every available resource?"

"Of, course. Look, I can't sit around listening to police radio, all day. That's not my style. I've been a reporter for a long time and if there's anything I've learned its, you can't wait for the news to come to you, you have to go out and find it."

"Well, I will say this," Jimmy started, trying to lighten the mood. "One way or another, you jumping off this building with definitely turn out to be news."

"Yeah," Lois muttered, "let's just hope it's not the obituaries." She took a deep breath and told herself not to look down again- as she looked down, anyway.

Perhaps, she was putting a little too much faith in this guy; it wasn't as though he was speeding around town rescuing kittens from trees or anything. The sensible thing to do was-

She stopped her thought right there, mortified with herself, the sensible thing? The rational thing- the practical thing-What was she thinking? That wasn't her. She'd always done the passionate thing- the gutsy thing- the risky thing! She did what she had to do to get the story. It was one of her rules for crying out loud!

What she was about to do may be considered lunacy, but at least it was something that was completely Lois Lane. No one could say she didn't go, doing what she loved. In fact, she would bet anything, no one would be shocked to know she'd killed herself trying to get a story. It was how she always thought she'd die, anyway.

All doubt and feasible reasoning evaporated from her brain. She was going to be OK. She just knew it, somehow. Her flying man would save her. She could feel it in her gut. She'd get her interview and most likely her third Pulitzer. In life, a person had to take risks to get what they wanted. Last night, she'd taken one and it had turned out badly. She imagined she was due for a little good luck. With a final deep breath, the brunette turned to Jimmy, "get your camera ready, you're not going to want to miss this." Then without hesitation she stepped off the edge.

**TBC**

********

**A/N:** OK. Starving woman here- feed me!


	11. Unsubstantial Evidences

**A/N:** I just wanted to once again thank everyone for their comments! The more reviews I get the guiltier I feel- which often leads to faster updates...Just sayin *wink wink* Also just so you know I have no intention of not completing this story. I'm not going on Hiatus with it or anything- It will get finished- eventually. I'm going to try really hard to update it more regularly than I have in the past. Now on with the chapter....

**Chapter 11**

**Unsubstantial Evidences**

Clark didn't realize the dot he saw falling in the distance was Lois until he had her in his arms and the familiar aroma of her spicy shampoo mixed with her sweet citrusy perfume filled his nose. When he'd walked out of the bank, approximately ten seconds earlier, he'd been feeling quite smug and satisfied, it was pure coincidence that he happened to look up at the precise moment the person on top of the Daily Planet decided to step off of it.

He didn't think. He just reacted. It was a miracle he remembered to do a quick perimeter check to make sure no one was paying attention to him, before he sped toward the falling person.

Now, that he was holding her, her back smashed against his chest, half of him wanted to keep her in his there forever and the other half wanted to strangle her. What the hell had she been thinking? Was she unknowingly trying to punish him for last night? He wasn't stupid enough to even contemplate the idea of Lois committing suicide. No, she had to be doing this for a reason-

Oh, Fuck. Him.

The flying man story, she'd just voluntarily jumped off a skyscraper so that he would- Wait. How the hell did she know he'd come for her? Oh, dear sweet Jesus. She didn't. She'd just gambled with her life, not that she hadn't done that before, but this- this was definitely something new.

"Lois Lane, Daily Planet. Thank you for saving me, again." She sounded out of breath, but elated. Clark's grip tightened, when she tried to turn around.

"OK. I get it. I'm not allowed to look at your face. Fine. I can do an interview like this."

Why didn't he leave, he could just fly away and she'd be none the wiser. Though knowing Lois if she didn't get something from him now- she'd try other riskier more creative ways to get his attention. Just entertaining that notion caused a wave of nausea to crash over him and he fought the urge to nuzzle her neck and kiss the exposed skin by her hairline. If anything ever happened to her-

He had to calm down. She was safe. She was in his arms everything was fine, she-

"Who are you? What are you? Why are you just coming out of the woodwork now? Are you a meteor freak? An android? Alien?" She was firing questions at him with the precision that a machine gun fired bullets. Fast. Synchronized.

He opened his mouth to speak, but caught himself at the last second. He couldn't talk to her she'd figure him out in a split second. And he couldn't just stand here holding her forever, though that thought was appealing. He had to let her go. He had to get out of there before someone saw them- OK. So it wasn't likely that someone would walk in on them when they were on the rooftop of an insurance building, still-

"Why aren't answering any of my questions? What are you hiding? Are you friend or foe? Say something! Answer "

But Clark didn't succumb to her demands instead he let a little of his self control slip away and pressed his lips briefly to her neck then disappeared.

Lois spun around quickly, but her hero had already gone, tentatively she touched the spot where he had kissed her- it was still tingling and warm. There was something about her flying man- something familiar. She just couldn't place exactly what it was.

Why wouldn't he talk to her? Why did he kiss her? A million questions swirled around Lois's head as made her way back to The Daily Planet. She'd been so close! Practically on top of him! Olsen better be the ace photographer he bragged he was- even if Perry had yet to notice.

As soon as she arrived back at work, Lois charged her way through the crowded newsroom, searching for Jimmy. He was sitting down at the desk he shared with Jeff, another intern, frowning at Jenna, who was glaring back. As she approached the scene she caught the back end of their argument.

"He's not you're type, Jenna. Trust me. Stay away."

"Don't tell me what to do, Jimmy Olsen! You had your chance and you didn't want me! Chad on the other hand seems quite interested in what I have to offer."

"You don't have anything to offer- Lois!" Jimmy hopped up out of chair in a flash when he saw her.

"Nice to see you weren't too worried about me." Lois crossed her arms over her chest and eyed the couple suspiciously.

The cub photographer flushed. "I- I just- well I figured you were OK because of what you told me, and I, uh well that is- I kind of got a bit distracted when I came back into the bull pen" he stammered, glancing quickly at Jenna, who was ignoring him and smiling at Lois.

"Jimmy said you jumped off the roof, " she blurted out, awed by her role model.

"I did."

"Neat trick."

"It wasn't a trick," Lois replied, turning to Jimmy. "Did you get anything, Olsen?"

"What do you mean it wasn't a trick? It's at least a twenty story drop!" Jenna exclaimed, wide eyed.

"It's all right, he saved me."

"Who?" Jenna asked her brows furrowed in confusion.

"I'm not exactly sure, yet. But don't worry I'll figure it out soon enough."

"You lost me."

Lois opened her mouth to explain further, but Jimmy intervened.

"All right. All the photos have bee downloaded. Here's what I got." Lois leaned down over the interns shoulder and scrutinized the digital images. There was nothing there but, streaks of color. Lois could almost make out the shape of her black pencil skirt, but the other image was nothing, but a blue smear.

"They're all blurry," she glared contemptibly at the young photographer.

Jimmy gulped. "He was moving too fast."

Lois sighed. Jimmy was right. She had to look on the brightside. At least, now Jimmy believed her. She had somebody in her corner, even if it was just a lowly intern. Of course, the pictures were useless; Perry would have her hide if she even suggested he print it. But she had to count it as a form of personal achievement. It was some sort of proof. The flying man wasn't some projected image from her wild imagination or anything. He was real and tangible and she'd been so close in getting her exclusive.

Her appetite had definitely been whetted. She just had to think of way to sort of trap him in one place and keep him there until she got exactly what she wanted from him. How she was going to do that? She didn't know.

********

Chloe knew what she was doing was technically illegal and probably borderline, psychotic, but she really didn't care at the moment. When sleep had evaded her last night, she'd decided, instead of counting sheep, she'd hack into Cat Grants personal computer and download her daily planner. Surprise. Surprise. It hadn't helped her insomnia one bit, however, it did spark her curiosity. So, Chloe decided to pull her "I'm pregnant and need a day off" card, so she could follow The Skank around the city and see just what this husband-stealing hussy was really up to.

Which so far, was absolutely nothing.

The Skank hadn't deviated from her schedule once. She'd stopped at the hairdressers, the nail salon and three major department stores. Could she be anymore cliché? I mean, seriously? Did it really take that much work to maintain her Slutty Anna chic, look? Of course, her hair color was probably as fake as her breast size!

However, she was finally getting the juicy stuff. This was what Chloe had been waiting for all day. Cat Grants secret date, "Lunch at _Senate_, twelve o'clock." She'd typed it in bold pink, then circled, starred and hearted it. The Skank had gone inside, alone, over an hour ago, but Chloe wasn't fooled. No woman went to so much trouble to look good for a mere luncheon, unless a man was present. A man she wanted to impress, no doubt. Possibly seduce. Just how many skeletons were in this hag's closet anyway?

She'd soon find out.

Chloe lifted the newspaper she'd been using as a cover a bit higher as The Skank sauntered through the doors of the new highly acclaimed five-star restaurant _Senate_. Her head was turned as though she were conversing with someone.

Chloe lowered her paper, just enough so she could see whom the auburn haired woman was leaving with. But right at the moment a male figure stepped through the door behind The Skank, a large crowd of people walked up and blocked Chloe's view.

The pregnant woman glowered. Well, this was what she got for using a bus stop as a stake out location.

"Oh, Mr. Queen- I mean Oliver- stop it! You're making me blush." Cat's rich, sultry voice carried across the street the bench Chloe was now frozen too. _Oliver_. Oliver was her secret luncheon man whore! No. It couldn't be. Ollie hadn't said anything to her about having a lunch meeting, today. Well, to be fair he hadn't said a single thing to her since last night and she'd been giving him the cold shoulder- still whether they were on speaking terms or not it was still marriage protocol to inform your spouse when you're having a lunch meeting with a Skank!

Oh, no! Chloe thought of Cat's planner. The hearts and stars- the hairdressers and the new outfits, everything! It was finally all making sense. The pieces of the puzzle were finally fitting together.

Oliver had had no intention of telling her about the lunch because it wasn't a business lunch, but a- a pleasure lunch! She felt dizzy- her throat was tightening and burning, she couldn't breathe. She was going to hyperventilate! Oh, God. She'd gone too far last night, hadn't she? She'd pushed him right into Cat Grants, boney arms!

Chloe scooted over to the edge of the bench and peered around the fat man blocking her view. Not a good idea. There they were across the street. The Skank had her arm linked with her husband's. They were walking down the street huddled close together. They looked like an average, everyday couple. She was smiling and laughing and touching him.

That Skank was touching her Ollie!

At that moment, the baby in her womb kicked her and Chloe cried out in surprise. She saw Ollie stop and look over his shoulder, but she ducked back behind the man, praying he hadn't seen her. She couldn't face him right now. She was too hormonal. She was going cry and she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her fall apart.

She couldn't take it anymore. There it was, her proof. Her worst nightmare had come to fruition! Her husband was having an affair! The lying cheating bastard! She knew it! All of the classic signs were there. He wasn't interested in her sexually, anymore. He was always working late. He was spending time with a beautiful woman outside of work. He avoided any conversations about the baby and their future-

Well, fine dammit! If he couldn't be man enough to just come out and tell her the truth then screw him! They hadn't bothered getting a prenuptial agreement, so at least she knew she was going to get half of everything. Somehow that realization did nothing to comfort her. She didn't want his things- she just wanted him.

Shit! She wasn't going to cry. Not here. Chloe leaped up, and pushed through the crowd of people heading in the opposite direction The Skank and her cheating husband were going. She had to get away.

********

Lois decided to take an early lunch break. Jumping off buildings made a girl hungry- that and she was paranoid about leaving her dog by himself for too long. That mutt was almost as prone to danger as she was.

Thankfully, Shelby was there when Lois pulled into the driveway. He saw her through the large bay window in the living room and was there to greet her when she stepped through the door, nuzzling her hand and barking happily.

"I missed you too, boy." Lois patted his head. "You hungry?" The golden retriever danced and jumped playfully around her feet as she strolled to the kitchen and refilled Shelby's food bowl.

He was almost out. She gave her dog a sympathetic look "You better savor it because after this runs out you aren't going to have name brand food for a long time."

Shelby of course, didn't pay her any mind- he just continued right on scarfing down his kibble like she hadn't fed him in years.

Lois opened fridge to scrounge for something to nibble on herself. There wasn't much variety to choose from. The reporter figured that if she could survive off of Ramen noodles and tap water for the next indeterminate amount of months she'd be able to save enough money for her down payment- after she cleared out her savings and took out the cash advances on her credit cards. She'd be up to her ponytail in debt, but at least she'd have a roof over her head.

Grabbing what was left of the Chinese take out she'd ordered a few days ago, Lois was putting the food in the microwave when she noticed the little red light on her answering machine was blinking. Lois punched the play button.

"Hello Ms. Lane. This is Heidi Starnsworth calling from First Bank." Lois let out a groan. Damn. Now, what did they want? If they were upping her loan again, there would be hell to pay. Archie Reynolds would rue the day he pissed off Lois Lane.

"I was just calling to confirm the closing date on your house, which will be at the end of this month. We look forward to seeing you the thirty-first. If you have any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to call, have a great day!"

Well, that was- er different. Lois frowned. She would have thought they'd call to remind her about the money she owed. Perplexed, Lois grabbed the phone off the hook. Well, Heidi did tell her not to hesitate if she had any concerns-

"Thank you for calling First Bank, Mary speaking how may I help you?"

"Yes. Hi, my name is Lois Lane I was calling about the down payment on my house?"

Lois gave the teller her information and after a few moments Mary told her cheerfully. "Everything looks like it's in order, Ms. Lane. All we have to do is make it official."

"So, you're saying there's absolutely nothing wrong with my loan? I don't owe anymore money on it?"

"Nope. Says here it's been paid in full. You're all set."

Lois thanked the woman and hung up the phone, shell shocked and happy and furious. The good thing was she was going to keep her house. She could buy Shelby real dog food- hell she could by herself real people food! The bad thing was that she was going to have to kill her cousin and her cousin's husband- after the baby is born of course. She couldn't punish the child for the sins of his or her parents.

She knew it had been a mistake to tell Chloe about her money problems, yesterday. Ollie probably paid off her loan to get back in his wife's good graces. Well, she hoped the make up sex was worth it! Although, Lois had to admit it was really sweet of them to do this for her, she'd make sure their death was quick and painless.

The irate brunette was half way through punching in Chloe's cell number when her doorbell rang.

Shelby instantly perked his head up and scampered to the door, barking and dancing with anticipation. It was a person- who most likely had hands, hands that could pet him!

He was excited.

Lois looked through the peephole. Speak of the devil and the devil shall appear. Chloe was standing on her front porch, suitcase in hand and mascara running down her cheeks. Lois flung the door open. "Chlo?"

"I moved out!" Lois saw the younger woman's lip starting to tremble dangerously. "Can I stay with you?"

Now was probably not the time to bring up the loan.

"What in the hell are you talking about?" Lois quickly ushered Chloe in through the door and immediately over to the love seat in her family room.

"It'll be great!" Chloe continued, too brightly. "Just like our college days! Lane and Sullivan against the world! If he wants that Skank, then he can have her! I'm done!"

"Slow down, Chlo you're not making any sense." Lois put an arm around her cousin and led her to couch. "OK. Now tell me what happened."

"I told you. I left Oliver. After I saw them together I just- " Chloe wrung her hands nervously in her lap.

"Saw who together?"

"Cat 'The Skank' Grant and my no good, dirty rotten husband!"

"Chloe, are you sure-"

"I know what I saw, Lo!"

The reporter grabbed her cousin's hands, trying to soothe her nerves. All of this stress probably wasn't good for the baby.

"All right. I believe you. Tell me everything."

When Chloe finished telling her cousin about the horrific, vomit inducing scene she'd witnessed between Oliver and Slutty Mcslut face- she hadn't realized she'd started sobbing until Lois pulled her in for a fierce hug.

"So, when you say moved out?"

"That's right. I pulled a you."

"Meaning?" Lois was almost afraid of the answer. It was one thing to leave your dog stealing boyfriend, but it was quite another to leave your husband while you were still pregnant with his child- that and Lois wasn't convinced of Oliver's guilt. Yet.

"I packed a suit case and left him a note." Chloe wiped her eyes with her shirt collar and stuck her chin out defiantly.

"You didn't by any chance stick it on the refrigerator, did you?" Lois almost cringed, when Chloe nodded solemnly.

"I knew something was going on! The signs were all there! He's been distant and cold and he makes excuses about having to work late and he won't even talk to me about," Chloe rubbed her stomach affectionately, "Little Cleopatra or Anthony."

"Uh, what?" Lois had a sneaky suspicion Chloe had fallen asleep watching the history channel again.

"I'm just trying them out. The names, I mean."

"Oh." Lois smiled a bit too widely, "They're, er, great!"

"I hadn't had the chance to tell- _him_ yet."

"Chloe are you sure you're doing the right thing?"

"You were right, Lois. About everything! What's the point in being with someone who doesn't want to be with you? What's the point if he won't even make an effort! Once the _umph_ goes down the toilet, so does the relationship!"

"Maybe you should talk to him."

"I don't want to talk to him! I can't even look at him! I'll cry. And I couldn't stand it if he saw me cry."

Chloe laid her head on Lois's shoulder and did her best to hold back the sob in her throat that was threatening to burst out. Lois held her tight.

"OK. I guess you and I will just grow old together- with Shelby. A couple of bachelorettes with a dog and a baby, all the makings of a really bad sitcom."

Chloe's sob turned into a giggle and Lois gave her a pat on the back before rising from the love seat, " Well, since your staying I'd better go get your room ready."

"Don't you have to go back to work?" Chloe questioned.

Lois shrugged. "I can be a few minutes late. By the way, how did you know I was home, anyway?"

"I didn't," the blonde replied sheepishly. "I was just going to camp out on the front porch, until you came home."

Lois rolled her eyes toward the ceiling, as if asking a higher being for strength. "Chloe it's freezing out there! You would have turned into a pregnant popsicle by the time I got home."

"Well, I thought about going to the farm- but I know the first thing Clark would do would be to call- _him_."

"Just because he'd want you two to work it out." Lois defended, wondering if _she_ should drop the billionaire a text on her way back to work. "You know Clark, always trying to do the right thing." Lois thought about the night before- well, almost always. There were exceptions to every rule.

"Yeah, I know. It's just don't think I could handle it right now, you know?"

"It's OK, Chlo. You can stay with me for as long as you want. Mi casa e su casa, and all that." Lois winked, then left the room, bounding up the stairs in search of extra sheets and blankets for the spare bedroom.

Chloe waited on the love seat for several long moments, petting Shelby, whose head was comfortably resting in lap. She was just about to call upstairs to see what was taking Lois so long when she heard a strange snapping noise followed quickly by her cousin's surprised yelp and several loud, consecutive thuds. Then silence.

Chloe felt her heart jump into her throat, "Lois!"

She and Shelby both sprang into action, rushing through the foyer. Chloe let out a horrified gasp at the sight of the brunette's body lying crumpled and twisted at the foot of the steps. Chloe fell to her knees beside her cousin. "Lois! Can you hear me? Lois! Wake up! Oh, God! Please wake up! Lois!"

Hysterical and blinded by tears Chloe dialed 911 with trembling fingers, while Shelby whined and paced nervously around his owner's body, stopping only to nuzzle her with his nose.

Lois didn't move.

**TBC**

********

**A/N:** All right give me your best guilt trip...I can take it...


	12. Intentionally Broken

**A/N:** Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for all the lovely feedback! You guys are Amazing! I hope you enjoy this weeks installment...Happy Smallville Friday!

**Chapter 12**

**Intentionally Broken**

Clark had known from the beginning that juggling a personal life with that of a her- er- _good citizen_ was going to be hard. He'd spent half the day speeding around the city, patrolling. He'd managed to do a few good deeds, nothing too big- he'd stopped a few muggings, a burglary, and of course your average every day drug deal gone bad scenario. He just had to do enough to get the rumors buzzing.

And then- well he hadn't exactly thought that far ahead, yet. I mean he had his plan- and after that was over and he had Lois and all would be perfect and right with the world- like it should have been all along- he'd- what? Go back to farming? No. He'd stay at the Planet, obviously. That was something he was definitely sure of- but what about his _Good Samaritan _act?

He wasn't completely convinced the life of a- hero was the one for him. Sure he'd been told thorough most of his adolescence that he destiny was already set in stone. That he was meant to be this great hero. But what was the point? He couldn't save everyone. What gave him the right to choose who lived and who died? Why did his abilities automatically make him judge, jury, and executioner?

He'd thought at one time, that he could handle it. That he could embrace his inevitable future and be the hero everyone thought he would be. But then, he went abroad- and dad died- died trying to protect _his_ secret- his so-called _gifts_ had killed his own father-

Clark tightened his jaw, trying to push back the old pain that gnawed at his conscious like a dull toothache. He'd thought he'd made up his mind a long time ago. No one had the right to play God. Not even him.

Right?

He wasn't so convinced anymore. Sure, he couldn't save everyone- but it still felt- good to use his powers- Natural. Freeing. Like it was something he was supposed to do. And he was tired of repressing his abilities and trying to forget they existed all together. He was tired of denying what he was- who he was. Well, part of who he was, at least. He could do some good. Maybe not a lot- but it was something, wasn't it? And he couldn't just hide out at the farm forever-

Clark sighed heavily and shook his head. There was no need to over analyze this now. He'd just have to cross that bridge when he came to it. Which would be in the very near future.

To say Oliver was shocked when he entered his penthouse to find a "dear john" letter from Chloe stuck to the fridge was the understatement of the century. His pregnant wife had packed up and left him! Ollie read and re-read her note several times. The writing was shaky and the paper tear stained. She had, of course, written him several pages explaining in vivid detail and using various convoluted metaphors in telling him what a bastard he was and how she never wanted to see him again. The only thing she'd left out was why? OK. That wasn't entirely true she had written down this little gem of a sentence.

_Don't even ask why! You know why!_

But he didn't. He knew she was pissed at him for something- but that was really nothing new. In fact, it would be a very strange occurrence not to have his wife at least annoyed with him once on a daily basis- although usually he knew exactly what the transgression was and how to fix it. This time however, he was at a loss.

She was gone. Really gone.

His heart felt heavy, like a stone or a brick sitting in his chest- crushing his windpipe. He couldn't breath for a few moments. No more Chloe- his head couldn't quite wrap itself around that concept. She was his wife. He loved her. She was carrying his baby for God's sake! She couldn't leave him!

But she had.

Ollie reached for whiskey-

Clark didn't really know what compelled him to stop by the pent house after making his rounds as Metropolis's newest super Good Samaritan. OK. So the fifteen missed calls from Oliver and the several disconcerting text messages might have something to do with it. Obviously Ollie was drunk dialing and texting-, which wasn't exactly shocking. The billionaire had been known to have a few too many every once in a while- Clark was actually a little surprised Chloe let him near a phone in his inebriated state.

Clark pushed the elevator door back, "Oliver? Chloe? Where are you?"

The only response Clark heard was the sound of low grumbling and slurred mumbles.

Oh yeah. He was definitely three sheets to the wind. Clark walked curiously toward the living room. Oliver was sprawled out on the couch staring intensely at his glass of scotch, as if it were saying something interesting to him. Clark eyed the half empty bottle on the coffee tray, warily.

This was not good.

"Are you trying to kill yourself?"

Oliver shrugged and looked up at his friend with unfocused eyes. "She's gone." He stated.

"Who?" Clark asked.

"Wha d'you mean _who? _Who d'you think?"

There was a brief silence as Clark the pieces together. "Chloe?" He didn't mean to sound so incredulous. But there had to be something lost in translation. There was no way in hell Chloe had left Oliver. No. Way.

"Are you sure?" Clark ventured, taking a seat next to his intoxicated friend.

Ollie let out a humorless bark. "Read fo' yerself!" He threw the four-page letter at Clark.

It didn't take the farm boy long to read it. He looked up from the note with his eyebrows knit together. "What did you do?" Clark demanded.

Ollie laughed again. "I dunno. I jus' came 'ome and there was the note and no Chloe."

Annoyed, Clark took the glass from his grasp. "Hey! I was drinkin' that!"

"I think you've had quite enough, Oliver."

"I'll tell ya when I've had enough!" Oliver lunged toward his drink, but Clark was already on his feet making a beeline for the kitchen. The billionaire toppled over and fell off the couch with a thud feeling like he was riding a tilt-o-whirl and couldn't make it stop. "What 're ya doin'?" He looked up at Clark from the ground

"I'm going to get rid of this." Clark gestured to the glass. "Then I'm going to fix you some coffee."

"I di'n't as' fer your help!"

"Actually I have about ten text messages that negate that statement."

A look of sheer mortification passed over Oliver's features as Clark poured his alcohol down the drain.

"Tha's my good scotch! D'you know how much that stuff costs?" Ollie attempted to rise to his feet, but he couldn't seem to locate his center of gravity. After a few tries he gave up and let his body sink back down the hard wood floors in defeat.

A few seconds later Clark heard the sounds of snoring and rolled his eyes.

After he made Oliver his coffee he'd have to go talk to Chloe and get to the bottom of this mess. The prospect didn't exactly excite him. Where there was a broken hearted Chloe there was almost always a fiercely protective Lois standing right beside her.

This was turning out to be a very long day.

Chloe stared at the message on the screen of her cell phone, "Call Clark"; her thumb hovered hesitantly over the send button. She should call him. He'd kill her if he found out Lois was hurt and no one informed him. Then again Lois would probably rip her limb from limb if she did call him-

Either way the blonde wasn't going to win this one.

Chloe pressed the back button and decided that maybe sending him a text would be better.

_Coward. _She chastised herself. But she was already half way through the message when a nurse came through the door. "Ms. Sullivan?"

Chloe's head popped up, completely forgetting her train of thought. "Yes?"

"You can go back and see her now. She's awake in room 207, just down the hall there."

The pregnant woman leapt from her seat and hurriedly made her way down the harshly light hallway. She did manage to haphazardly finish her text to Clark and send it before entering the room.

Lois was sitting up in her bed, a deep lined frown etched in her features. "I don't understand why I have to be here over night? It's just a sprained ankle!"

"And a pretty nasty concussion," the doctor replied, patiently. "We just want to keep you for observation, that's all."

"Do you know how many concussions I've had in my life? On a scale of one to ten of head injuries I've sustained over the years this one doesn't even hit the radar!"

"I'm sure it doesn't, Ms. Lane. But I am insisting you stay, this time. And don't even think about trying to make a break for it. I've got eyes everywhere. Now get some rest."

The doctor smiled at Chloe who was standing in the doorway watching the scene. As she walked out of the room, she whispered to the blonde, "she's going to be fine." Chloe nodded and thanked her quietly before rushing to her cousin's side.

"Lois!" The younger woman launched herself at the brunette, tears leaking from her eyes.

"Chlo, I'm fine." Lois insisted, but her remark only made Chloe squeeze her tighter. "Seriously Chloe- your kind of cutting off my air supply."

"Sorry." Chloe pulled back and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Damn hormones. I swear I have never cried so much in my life!"

Lois smiled and opened her mouth to say something, but a familiar voice echoed down the hall. "What room in Lois Lane in?"

"Sir, only family is allowed back there! Sir!"

"I am family!"

There was, what sounded like a scuffle and few harsh worlds exchanged, but Lois couldn't make out what anyone was saying.

The reporter turned her head and looked sharply at her cousin, "you didn't."

Chloe smiled sheepishly and shrugged helplessly. "I kind of did."

"Chlo- e!"

"I had too, Lo!"

"No you didn't!" Lois argued.

"I couldn't not call him!"

"Oh, yes you could have- er or have not- I mean- dammit! Don't try to confuse me with double negatives when I have a concussion!"

Chloe grinned. "You know that he would have found out eventually and then I would have been in deep trouble."

"Oh, you're already in deep trouble with me! But after this little stunt? Let's just say it's a good thing you're pregnant!"

"Why am I already in deep-"

"Lo-is!" Clark burst dramatically through the door cutting Chloe off in mid sentence.

He was at Lois's side in a flash. Lois wasn't sure how he'd gotten there so fast. She could've sworn he was in the hallway a second ago, she didn't even see him enter the room. Maybe the doctor was right- perhaps she had hit her head harder than she thought.

"I'm fine, Smallville. Just a few bumps and bruises nothing to worry about."

"You sprained your ankle." Clark said, solemnly, his guilt ridden puppy eyes boring into hers. Lois wanted to smack him.

"Would you wipe that look off your face before I do it for you!" She scowled.

"What look?"

"That whole I-have-to-take-the-responsibility-for-every-bad-thing-that-happens-in-world look. It's annoying."

"If I had been there-"

"No. Don't do that. Smallville I'm fine. Seriously. _Stop. It_. There was nothing you could have done. The railing gave out. That's all. It was nobody's fault."

"You could have broken your neck," Clark reached out and smoothed her hair behind her ear, letting his hand linger on the side of her face. He wanted to kiss her. Again. He was convinced she was punishing him. She had to be intentionally hurting herself to make him suffer.

"But I didn't." Lois whispered, putting her hand on his wrist. It was supposed to be a gesture of comfort, but the skin on skin contact made her blood race and her pulse soar. She tried in vain to squelch the heat rising in her loins, she was still mad at him dammit!

Clark's thumb gently glided over the skin of her cheek up to her temple as his fingers unconsciously threaded themselves through her hair. Like they had every right in the world too. She should jerk away from him. But it felt nice having him so close and he was touching her- and it felt so good- and he smelled like sawdust and hay and sunshine. She let her hand trace up and down his forearm- he was so close she could just tilt her chin up and lean forward and-

Chloe cleared her throat uncomfortably, breaking the spell between the two friends. Clark and Lois both immediately dropped their hands, like two embarrassed children who just got caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

Clark turned his attention to the blonde mood killer, taking a breath, regaining his composure. "I've got to talk to you." He gave her a meaningful look.

Chloe swallowed the lump in her throat. She knew by the look on his face it was about Oliver. "Later," she told him, clutching Lois's fingers. "It's been a really stressful day."

"Tell me about it," Clark murmured.

"At least you don't have to spend the night in this sterile prison!" Lois chimed in, annoyed that Chloe once again interrupted her and Smallville.

"Oh, my God!" Chloe cried out, suddenly as if she'd just had some great epiphany.

"What?" Clark asked, alarmed, his senses going into high alert.

"It's Wednesday!"

Lois grabbed her cell phone off the nightstand next to her bed. "Let's see if Antonio's delivers to Met Gen, shall we?"

It turned out they didn't. So Lois and Chloe both guilt tripped Clark into being their personal pizza delivery boy. Chloe had one slice before she announced she had to find a bed before she passed out. The nurses offered to set her up in an empty room across the hall. Though they informed her that she would be could be kicked out at anytime if they needed it during the night. Chloe thanked them and said she'd take her chances.

Clark warned her that they were still going to have a certain conversation in the morning before she groggily made her way to her temporary bedroom.

Once they were alone, Clark turned to Lois, "Do you know what happened between those two?"

"Chloe thinks Oliver cheated on her."

"What?"

"I know. But she says she caught him red handed."

"Well, Oliver doesn't have a clue why she left- I found him drunk out of his mind about an hour ago."

"Let me guess- the good scotch?"

"More than half the bottle," Clark confirmed.

"Ouch. Are you sure you should have left him alone?"

"No. But what could I do? He passed out and I made coffee and then I got Chloe's text and I just-" Clark gazed into her hazel orbs, lost in their depths for a moment.

"What?" Lois questioned.

"I-I uh, laid him on his side, left him a big glass of water and some aspirin and got in my car and drove like a maniac to get here." Of course that was a lie. His truck was still at the farm.

Lois didn't speak right away. She bit her lip, like she was deep in thought about something. The silence stretched on for several never-ending seconds. Then she opened her mouth and said, "I'm still mad at you."

"Yeah, I know."

"Why did you come?"

Clark's expression turned stony. "What do you mean, why did I come? What kind of question is that? You're in the hospital!"

"So?"

"So- "

"Everything OK in here?" A red haired nurse smiled warmly at the couple, from the door.

"Just peachy," Lois answered, sarcastically.

"I just wanted to see if your husband wanted us to set up a cot for him so he could spend the night in your room?"

Lois clucked her tongue on the roof of her mouth and glared at the man next to her, "husband?"

Clark gulped uncomfortable and took Lois's hand in his, "yes, sweetheart. Remember? We eloped." He kissed her fingers.

Lois smiled overly wide. "Oh, that's right! I forgot. I do have a concussion you know," She beamed at the nurse, "of course, my 'ittle hubby-wubby is going to stay with me!" She leaned forward and rubbed her nose against Clark's. "Isn't that right, Punkin?"

"Whatever you say, Muffin."

The nurse smiled at them, and said she'd be right back with Clark's extra bed.

"Husband?" Lois demanded, pulling away from him.

"They wouldn't let me through unless I was family. So I fed them a story about how we secretly eloped." Clark explained. "It was all very dramatic and hopelessly romantic. You see your father didn't approve of me, and-"

"Stop! Just don't talk anymore!" Lois scowled. He had some kind of nerve! Was he toying with her on purpose? What the hell had compelled him- Lois suddenly remembered why the hell she was so angry with him. He was unbelievable sometimes!

"I panicked, OK?" Clark ignored her command. "I just said the first thing that popped into my head."

"You should probably go check on Ollie." She said, turning away from him. "I'm tired, anyway."

"What are you going to tell the nurse when she comes back with my cot?" He didn't want to leave her.

"Nothing. I'll be asleep."

"Lois-"

"Good night, Clark." The brunette rolled away and shut her eyes tightly, willing him to leave.

And he did, at least, for the time being.

He took Lois's advice and went to check on Oliver- who was still passed out on the couch where he'd left him. After making sure his friend was still breathing Clark decided to make a pit stop at Lois's house, before returning to the hospital.

Luckily, she had forgotten to lock her back door from the last time she let out the dog, so he didn't have to break a window or destroy the lock on one of her doors. Shelby was more than thrilled to see his second favorite person in the world.

"Hey, boy." Clark massaged his ear, briefly before making his way toward the staircase. There was something that had been niggling at him ever since Lois told him how she'd fallen.

She'd said the railing gave out. And it did make sense. After all, this was an old house- it definitely could use some work. But shouldn't Lois have noticed the weak railing before? If the stairs weren't safe, Oliver would have said something when he initially checked out the house, right? There was something more to this- Clark could feel it in his bones as he climbed the steps and crouched down, getting a better look at the beams on the banister.

He ran the pads of his fingers across the break in the wood. It was smooth, clean- like someone had cut it- intentionally. Clark went cold. Someone was trying to hurt Lois. He rose to his feet and unconsciously and rubbed Shelby's head. "This was no accident, boy." Shelby whined.

Clark returned to the hospital only after he was sure Lois was really asleep. He sneaked back into her room and laid down on the extra bed that was left for him.

She wasn't going to be happy in the morning when she rolled over and saw his face, but that was her problem. There was no way he was leaving her alone now. Not when there was someone out there trying to hurt her. He knew Lois had plenty of enemies- there was probably dozens of thugs who would love to get there hands around her elegant neck and squeeze.

But why would they do something so minuscule as cutting a railing? Whoever had done that must have known it wouldn't kill her- maybe it was just to scare her. Clark stared at the back of Lois's head- he wanted to curl up around her and wrap his arms around her middle and kiss her hair and neck and shoulders.

There was no way he was going to sleep tonight.

**TBC**

**A/N:** So? Was it enjoyable? Or....*chews on fingernails*


	13. Stupid Clark

**A/N:** Thank you so much for the love! You guys are amazing!

**Chapter 13**

**Stupid Clark**

Lois didn't have to open her eyes to know she wasn't in her own bed- this mattress was too thin, too hard. And she knew she wasn't in her room either- it smelled too sterile like bleach. Her room smelled like the rest of her house did like cinnamon and peaches and warmth.

For a moment she went rigid with panic. Oh, God. Where was she? What had happened? Then she tried to move and finally noticed the dull pain in her left ankle- and the fact that it was somewhat incapacitated.

That's when she remembered, the accident. Chloe and Oliver. Stupid Clark.

Lois let out the breath she'd been holding in. She was in the hospital. She frowned at the thought _she was in the hospital._ Then to make things worse when she opened her eyes a big, hard, Clark-shaped body was lying on the cot next to her!

She'd distinctly remembered telling him to leave last night- and she definitely hadn't invited him to come back! At least she didn't think she had. No. No. She definitely hadn't.

With a deep scowl marring her features Lois reached out, braced her good foot on the end of the bed and pushed the dark haired sleeping mass off of his mattress.

He landed on the cold tile floor with a loud "Oaf!"

"Lois!" Clark glared up at the reporter, who returned his scowl with a syrupy smile. "Good morning."

Clark got to his feet, "maybe for you!" He muttered flopping back onto his caught face down the one thin pillow the hospital had issued him.

Lois almost laughed because his calves were hanging over the edge. "Why did you come back?" She asked, quietly.

She heard Clark sigh as he turned around to face her. "I went to your house after I checked on Ollie," he paused, not sure if he should tell her what he'd discovered or not.

"And?" Lois coaxed.

Clark was silent for a few more seconds before he made up his mind. "And- Lois your railing didn't give out, someone cut it. Deliberately."

"Oh," Lois responded.

"Yeah, look I know this is a stupid question, but do you know anyone who'd want to hurt you?"

Lois pretended to seriously ponder his question. "Only at least a dozen crooks, thugs, and former public office officials."

"Thought so." Clark sighed and got up out of his small bed. Lois expected him to leave- go get coffee or wake Chloe up. But he slipped beneath her blankets, instead.

"It's kind of cramped in here," it was a feeble attempt at a complaint, which Clark ignored as he gently, situated her body so that she was half lying on him. And Lois would've complained and kicked him out, except she was too tired and she liked feeling the warm hardness of his body beneath hers. The memory of how it felt pressed on top of her flashed in her head and she snuggled closer to him.

"The only reason I haven't kicked your ass is because I'm injured." She lied to him.

She felt more than heard his chuckle, "keep telling yourself that, Lane."

"I mean it," Lois insisted sighing into his neck. How did in the hell could a person smell so good? "I'm still mad at you. Just because you've weaseled your way into my bed doesn't change anything. You're still in the dog house."

"I figured." Clark replied, letting his fingers stroke down her arm in a soothing rhythm. "But I also figured, I could use the fact that you're kind of stuck in this bed for the time being to my own benefit."

"That's a low thing to do, farm boy. Taking advantage of a situation like this."

"I'd like to think of it more as seizing an opportunity," he grinned.

Lois looked up at him and rolled her eyes and placed his forehead against hers.

"You should go check on Chloe." She averted her gaze and shifted as far away from him as possible. She really didn't want him to leave, but it was a bad idea to let him stay, she told herself, a very bad idea. She may be injured, but that didn't seem to put a damper on her hormones.

Clark caught her stare and moved his hand so that his thumb lightly caressed her chin before he pushed the covers aside and obeyed her request. "Don't worry, I'll bring back coffee." He told her before he walked out.

Lois hated how difficult it was to stay mad at him.

Stupid Clark.

* * *

"The good scotch?" Chloe inquired after Clark had explained to her about the state in which he'd found Ollie the previous night. He sat beside her while she leaned against a mound of pillows. Thankfully, the hospital had been slow last night.

"Oh," for a moment her eyes softened, but in the next instant she stuck her chin out and said, "at least he's feeling guilty! And why shouldn't he? The Cheating rat!"

"Chloe this wasn't 'I feel guilty' drunk, this was 'I'm completely devastated' drunk." Clark said, but the blonde just snorted.

"Well, I'm only sorry you were there to stop him! I hope he drinks himself dead!"

"Chlo-"

"I know what I saw, Clark!"

"Are you sure? Really, really sure?"

"Yes," Chloe answered definitively- then made a face, "well, pretty sure."

"Talk to him. He's not in a good place and you haven't even been gone twenty-four hours." Clark put a hand on his friends shoulder.

"I've been trying to talk to him for months! He's the one that doesn't want to listen! I'm done. If he wants me he's going to have to put a little effort into it!"

"What are you talking about?"

Chloe began to explain, but a nurse entered the room. "I'm sorry Mrs. Queen, but we need this room." The woman gave Chloe a sympathetic, but hard look.

"Of course," Chloe untangled herself from the sheet and slid out. "I don't want to talk about this anymore." She told Clark. "I'm going to see if Lois is ready to get the hell out of here. I know I am."

Clark let her walk away. He met both cousins at the exit holding a cup of coffee in his right hand for Lois. Chloe wasn't allowed to have caffeine in her condition, so Lois and Clark always tried to avoid drinking it around her, however in this case it was unavoidable. Lois Lane without her morning coffee was not something he'd ever want to experience.

After he'd dropped both of the women off- the ride to Lois's house had been silent for the most part. Apparently, neither one of them were too happy with him. Clark drove back to the farm, but only so he could pack. It looked like he was going to be spending the next few weeks in the city.

Perhaps, he'd take up Ben Hubbard on his offer to look after the farm after all. He just hoped that after over five years the offer was still good.

* * *

Lois was officially in hell. Not only had Perry practically chained her to her desk for the remainder of the time she was on crutches. Oh, no. If that wasn't bad enough he'd also tried to feed her some bullshit line about temporarily regulating her to a "Junior Editor" position, which in laymen's terms meant paper work. Lots and lots of paper work.

Oh, joy.

Not.

It hadn't even been a week yet and she could already feel herself slowly succumbing to the symptoms of cabin fever- or insanity. She wasn't sure which. And it really didn't help that she kept hearing little tidbits over the police scanner about another "mysterious save" or how once again the witness never saw a thing- but blurry streak.

It was her flying man. She just knew it.

It would figure that he would choose the time she was incapacitated to finally show himself. She had so many leads she didn't know what to do with them- or rather she couldn't do anything with them!

She'd already tried escaping multiple times out of multiple exits. Perry had eyes and minions everywhere. He told her he wasn't about to let one of his top reporters get herself killed over a "hunch," well, at least not until she was fully healthy. Apparently, a big-mouthed farmer had let it slip that someone was after her and since then Lois was surprised she was able to use the bathroom by herself.

This was agony- no torture- no it was down right unfair and completely retarded! And she was about fed up with everyone treating her like some china doll that could break at any moment.

She was Lois Lane for crying out loud! When didn't bad guys want to kill her? OK. So it had been a few years since the last death threat- but still. C'mon! This was protocol people! Average. Normal. Mundane.

They should have been more worried when she wasn't getting herself in trouble. Where were the red alerts then?

On the bright side, Phil had only bugged her once this week. He'd showed up at her office door the first day she returned to work wearing an obnoxiously pitying frown.

"I told you it wasn't safe there. I warned you. And now look what happened. You should come home, I painted the kitchen." He told her proudly. As though, making a trip to Home Depot was somehow going to fix everything.

Lois hadn't been in the mood to deal with her ex, but that last part had caught her off guard. Phil? Changed something? Well, perhaps the lakes of fire in hell were starting to freeze over, after all. "What do you mean you painted the kitchen?"

"I painted it yellow. Although you aren't supposed to paint it that color because yellow makes you hungry. But I know you like yellow, so that's why I painted it."

Lois had felt a headache coming on. Poor idiot. Too little and definitely too late. "That's great, Phil. Really great." She'd said gently, "but I've already told you a thousand times. No. I'm not coming back to that apartment to live with you. I've moved on."

"But you're hurt. That house hurt you. And that stupid dog changed you. If you would just listen-"

"I really don't have time for this. I want you to leave!" She'd pointed to the closed door, realizing in that moment that he'd shut it when he'd come in. She remembered thinking how strange that was.

She was even more taken aback when her former boyfriend took a step toward her instead of leaving. For a moment it looked like he was going to grab her and shake her. But then Jeff came barreling through the door holding more copies for her to look over and Phil left. But Lois couldn't ignore the uneasy feeling she'd had for the rest of day. She'd never seen that look in Phil's eyes before. He'd almost looked- unhinged.

But that was silly because Phil may be large, but he wasn't dangerous. Not in the least. He was too calm and cool for that. Too put together to go crazy. No. It must have been her imagination.

The only person who really enjoyed the fact that Lois was stuck in one place was Jenna. She'd been positively glowing when Lois had reluctantly told her how long she'd be on desk duty.

Jenna never failed to show up multiple times a day and bring her boss coffee and doughnuts and convince Lois to wait it out and not jab herself in the eye repeatedly with a dull pencil tip.

"I have a date Saturday." Jenna informed Lois, taking her usual seat across from the reporter.

"With who?" Lois asked only half listening.

"Chad. Or that one 'hot intern' as most people refer to him as."

Lois looked up from the paper she was in the middle of marking and blinked.

"So what do you think?" The overly eager intern asked.

"The one that looks like James Dean and has Casanova's tongue?" Lois asked. She remembered Chad. He'd tried to hit on her last year. She still felt bad about pouring the coffee over his head, but the little jerk deserved it!

"Yep!" Jenna brightened. "So, what do you think of him?" She repeated, anxiously wringing her hands in her lap.

Lois frowned at her young friend. "Trouble. He's definitely trouble and not that good kind."

Clark was the good kind of trouble. He was the kind of trouble you wanted to wrap yourself up in and hope no one ever rescued you.

"And dangerous?" Jenna asked, eyes round as dinner plates, her hands going a thousand miles an hour.

Lois nodded. "Very."

Jenna finally stood up smiling. "Good, that's exactly what I want, not more playing it safe and no more clean, cut Wally Beaver types. I want James Dean. Some who had trouble and dangerous written all over him!"

"Just remember that trouble and dangerous are two very close friends of mine." Lois cut in, "and believe me with friends like them you don't need enemies. Be careful, Jenna. Think with your brain not your emotions."

"I've never done anything dangerous in my life!" Jenna stated. "I need this. I've always been the good girl- the reserved girl. The kind of girl guys take out on dates and has polite conversation with and at the end of the night all I get is a kiss on the cheek- or worse on the hand."

"Jenna-"

"Well, I'm tired of it! I want dangerous and trouble. You've been in a career rut for a few years, but I've been in a romantic rut my entire life! And that ends Saturday."

"I just hope you know what you're doing. You've certainly got Mr. Olsen in a tiz."

Jenna scoffed. "Jimmy is being a jerk."

"He's worried about you and he doesn't trust James Dean-and he really doesn't trust Casanova."

The younger woman giggled. "Well, too bad. He had his shot to be my safe bad boy and he blew it. And I've decided the genuine article is probably better anyway. Saturday night I'm going to be one of those loose city woman my mother always worried I'd become." She looked at Lois sheepishly. "Can I borrow one of your dresses?"

Lois sighed, certain she'd just been insulted, but the look on Jenna's face made her forget her anger. "Sure. Stop by the house on Friday."

The strawberry blonde lit up like a Christmas tree. "Thank you!" She looked at the clock on Lois's desk. "It almost five, you better start heading down. I'll go hold the elevator for you."

Lois groaned.

Clark was probably already waiting for her on the curb. The misguided farm boy had taken it upon himself to be Lois's personal Body Guard. He was waiting in her driveway when she was ready to go to work in the morning- even though she'd told him repeatedly that she was perfectly capable of driving. And he always picked her up. According to Chloe he'd even gone so far as to temporarily move in with Oliver.

Which Lois thought was kind of a good idea. Ollie really shouldn't be alone. He didn't fair well with change. And Chloe not being there was probably the biggest change of his life.

Come to think of it, her cousin wasn't exactly thrilled with change either.

Lois packed up her bags and put all of the extra articles she hadn't gotten to in her brief case. She locked her office behind her and hobbled to the elevator. She didn't want to know what he'd do if she was late. He'd probably come after her and carry her down to his truck.

Good God.

When Lois made it down to the first floor. She managed to get through the revolving doors with little trouble and Clark, as she'd predicted, was there with the passenger side of the door open and waiting for her.

He took her crutches and laid them in the bed of his truck and she hopped into her seat.

"You really don't have to do this, Smallville." She said to him for the millionth time. "I can drive and walk and I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. It's just a sprained ankle. It's not like I'm in a body cast!"

"But that's still a possibility. I can't believe you're not more worried about the fact that someone broke into your house and deliberately set out to hurt you."

Lois huffed in her seat like a petulant child. "I hate this. I hate that everyone is treating me like I'm five!"

"It's for your own good." Clark said, like that was supposed to comfort her.

"No it's not. It's annoying and stupid. If someone really wanted to hurt me, there's nothing you or anyone could do about it. And I won't let you put me in this invisible bubble because you have this insane theory that someone out there is trying to kill me!"

"You saw the cut, Lois!" Clark violently started the car and pulled into traffic.

"I don't care! The fall didn't even break any bones! I just hit my head and let's face it Clark that's nothing new!"

"Lois!"

"I feel like I'm slowly being suffocated with a pillow. I can't even do my job! I've finally got some leads on my flying man and I can't even investigate them! Not really, anyway. I mean I made a few phone calls, but how am I supposed to go meet a source when Perry won't let me leave the building without a doctor's note!"

"I could go with you," Clark offered.

"What?" Lois whipped her head toward him.

"I mean it. I could take you to meet your sources and help with some of the more physical parts of your investigations." He explained then quickly added before she could protest. "Just until your ankle heals." He still hadn't told her about applying for The Daily Planet job. Her getting hurt had put a little delay on his initial plans.

"I'm a solo act, Clark. You know this. We tried doing the whole partner thing in college, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember." He cringed at the memory. Lois was definitely not the sharing kind. She'd been absolutely livid when their editor at Met U had paired them up for an assignment.

_Nothing personal, Smallville,_ she'd said, _but I don't share bylines._

They'd fought more in those couple of weeks than they had in their entire relationship. And that was saying a lot. Clark had spent a majority of the time tracking her down and trying to pry information out of her, than actually investigating.

"This time it will be different," he said.

"How?" Lois asked

"Because this time you can't run off on your own or do any snooping without me." The more he thought about this the more he liked the idea. He could protect Lois and still get his story for Perry.

Lois grumbled. "Fine. But we do things my way. Understand? None of your holier-than-thou-I know-what's-best- crap! I am top banana and you are low man on the pole! Got it?"

"Whatever you say, Lois," Clark grinned. "You like to be on top. Got it."

"Don't start with me, farm boy!"

He just grinned in response to her vexation. Bantering was good. That was normal and a sure-fire sign that he was almost completely forgiven.

"So, are you going to stay at Ollie's until this whole mess is over?" She inquired.

Clark nodded. "Looks like it."

"Who's taking care of the cows?"

"My neighbor. Ben Hubbard."

"OK. Good. Because I can't have any of your stupid excuses if you insist on being my partner. You have to be at my beck and call, understand?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"When I say jump you say-"

"How high. I get it, Lois!"

"I just want to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into. Because I don't care if one half of my entire body is in a cast- I will get my story and I won't wait until you're done fixing the tractor!"

"If there is one thing I am Lois, It's prompt." Clark assured her, while he started having second thoughts about his rash decision. He knew better than anyone that Lois was a pit-bull on a pant leg when it came to uncovering the truth. She could sniff out a story better than anyone. And he was going to be right under her nose for the next several weeks.

Stupid Clark.

**TBC**

**A/N:** OK.. Let me have it! Don't hold back! I can take it! I swear!


	14. Desperate Times

**A/N:** Thank you guys for all the encouragement/comments/reviews/love! You know it feeds my soul! I'm really sorry about the late update. I have no one to blame but- my boss! Curse her for making me work so much! You can all blame her. I'm just a victim of circumstance! I swear... *ahem* any way. I'm working on my update for "Faking It" now and that chapter should be up- soonish. I have to write a quick little one-shot for a fic challenge first though.

**Chapter 14**

**Desperate Times**

He'd tried everything short of pinning her against the wall to make her listen to him- to look at him, acknowledge his existence. The messages he left on her phone were ignored and deleted. The memo's he sent were put through the shredder- the flowers were immediately deposited into the nearest trashcan and the dark chocolate covered cherries were promptly given away to the nearest female colleague.

Why did she always have to be so stubborn? He'd never seen her this angry before. Sure, she'd given him the silent treatment in the past- only because she knew how much it drove him crazy! But this was worse than the simple run of the mill cold shoulder- she was trying to block him out of her life completely. She didn't want anything to do with him-

And he didn't have a clue why.

OK. So he'd been working later than usual, but he had a company to run, right? The days of jet setting off to some distant island willy nilly were behind them now, weren't they? Oliver thought of Chloe's swelling abdomen.

Yes. They definitely were.

And perhaps he was a bit distracted by the Cat Grant account. _Shudder._ But her business- well her father's business really was a gigantic account, even if Ms. Grant's flirting made him ill. Not to mention, this whole "having a baby" thing kind of terrified the shit out of him-

Was it unethical to have a shot of whiskey in your office?

"Ollie?"

The billionaire groaned. "Don't I get enough of you at home? I know we're living together Clark, but I don't need a babysitter." What he needed was his wife back.

Clark ignored his friend's sarcasm, "Chloe thinks you're cheating on her." He dropped the bomb without warning.

"What?" He was sure he had a bottle of single malt in the bottom left hand drawer of the desk. If he could just get the alcohol police out of there-

"With Cat Grant."

"Jesus Christ!" Ollie slammed his fist down and cursed that damn woman's name. "What do I have to do? Put up a fucking billboard? Do a press release? Lois can write a goddamn article! I, Oliver Queen, am NOT having an affair with that-thing!"

Clark shrugged. "She saw the two of you walking out of a restaurant called _Senate_ last Wednesday looking very- uh, _close_."

Ollie turned his eyes to the ceiling. Great. Just abso-fucking-lutely wonderful! "I thought we were meeting for an emergency business dinner. She said it was important- so I went."

"Let me guess," Clark replied, "a little less business and a lot more pleasure?"

"Yep." Oliver exhaled, "What could I do? Her account is very important. So I turned on the charm and went with it."

"I'm going to have to kill, you aren't I?" Clark said as though he were commenting on the weather. But his eyes were hard and his jaw locked.

"I didn't do anything wrong!" Ollie defended quickly, afraid his friend might actually harm him. "I was just my charismatic self, that's all. I didn't touch her. I didn't even _think _about touching her."

"You're wife got a distinctly different impression."

"What was she doing there, anyway?" Oliver asked. "How did she even know about it?"

Clark furrowed his eyebrows thoughtfully. "I don't know. But she is a computer genius."

Ollie glared at him. "I thought she was taking a mental health day. She told me she wasn't feeling well." He plopped back into his plush chair and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. "I bought her flowers because I thought it might make her feel better, but what do I see when I get home? That fucking letter on the fridge!"

"You two should talk." Clark said simply, smiling sympathetically. He could understand dealing with a difficult woman.

"I've been trying to do that for the last three days! She's been freezing me out at every turn."

"Do you want me to talk to her?"

"No!" Oliver was adamant about that point. "She's _my_ wife. Besides, you have your own woman problems to worry about."

"What woman problems?" He tried to act bemused by Oliver's not-so outrageous statement, but the words sounded forced even to his own ears.

Ollie couldn't hold back his smirk. "Brunette, leggy, danger prone? Ring any bells?"

Clark shifted his weight uncomfortably from one foot to the other, trying to act nonchalant and failing miserably. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Please. You and Lois have been dancing around each other for years. I'm not blind, Clark- or stupid. You can cut the unresolved sexual tension with a knife when you two are in a room together and not to mention-"

"OK. New rule." Clark interrupted putting a hand up. "I'll stay out of your business and you stay out of mine!"

Oliver grinned triumphantly. "Deal."

Clark turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Oliver asked.

Clark averted his eyes and answered quietly, "I have to pick up Lois. I kind of volunteered to be her-"

"Love slave?" Ollie teased.

"Partner- unofficially of course." Clark corrected, eyes narrowed in annoyance.

Ollie gave him a look, "Uh-huh."

"It's just temporary," Clark wasn't sure why he felt the need to defend his actions to Oliver. It wasn't like it was any of his business anyway. "Until she's back on her feet- sans crutches."

"Right. And this is in no way a ploy to get close her? I mean, like you said she does have a sprained ankle it's not like she has any other choice, is it?"

"Oliver-"

But the billionaire was having way too much fun, watching how many different shades of red the intergalactic traveler could turn, to stop now. "I'm not judging you, Clark. I mean it's a brilliant plan. It's like when a lion goes after the sickly gazelle. Perfectly natural."

"I'm leaving."

And even though he slammed the door Clark could still hear Oliver's laughter as he stalked out of the building.

* * *

"You're late!" Lois scowled at her temporary self-appointed partner while he bent down to rub Shelby's tummy. Her traitor of a dog groaned with pleasure and wagged his tail.

"It's only two minutes after six, Lois!"

"Still late." The brunette retorted. "I only have a half hour until I have to meet this guy. Chop. Chop. Smallville."

"You mean, until _we_ have to meet this guy," Clark corrected and Lois rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Just grab my purse."

"Yes, dear."

"Don't start with me, farm boy!"

"It's a little late for that isn't it? Say about ten years too late?"

"You know. You're not as adorable as you think you are," Lois told him as hobbled out the front door.

"Yes, I am."

The car ride was silent- except for the stereo, which was blasting 80's music. Lois, of course always controlled the radio-it didn't matter whose car it was or whether she was driving or not.

Clark chanced another quick peek over at the reporter. He couldn't help it. She was practically radiating nervous energy from her pores. She couldn't stop fidgeting with her hands, as she gazed out the passenger side window, her brows permanently furrowed. A cute little worry line crinkled above her nose.

And who could blame her for being a bit apprehensive? This mystery source was supposed to be the answer to her prayers. Apparently, this guy had some pretty juicy insights on this mysterious "Blur" character.

Lois was so jittery it was starting to make Clark feel nervous. What he knew? What if they met him and he said, "If you want to know who the flying man is that saved you, look to your left."

Would it be so bad if Lois found out? Clark was leaning more toward no on that one nowadays. However, it would catastrophic if Lois found out from someone else that he was the flying man that saved her-twice. That might earn him a lifetime sentence in the dog house and he was having enough trouble trying to get himself back in her good graces from the last not-so little stunt he'd pulled.

If it weren't for the fact that there was someone out there trying to hurt Lois, he would have thanked God for her sprained ankle. Maybe Oliver had been right. He was kind of taking advantage of the situation. But then again there was nothing like physical injury to bring two people together.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Lois cocked her eyebrow and scooted closer to the door.

"Oh, uh no reason." OK. Forget the togetherness thing. But they were still in the same vehicle- that counted.

'Look, Smallville," Clark mentally prepared himself for the ramble that was about to begin he knew that tone all too well.

"I just want to get a few things straight before we meet this guy. I'm the brains of this operation and you are strictly the brawn, got it? It's been a while since you've been in the game and-"

"Lois-"

"The last thing I need is you messing this up! This is the first legitimate lead I've gotten in almost two weeks-"

"Lois?"

"And I swear to God that I will maim you if you ruin this for me!"

"Lois!"

"What?"

"Calm down. I swear I won't say a thing. I'll just stand there with my arms crossed like a big, dumb lackey, OK boss?"

Lois shot him an exasperated look. "This is no laughing matter, Clark Kent! This is my career. My Life!" She paused dramatically, before adding. "And I am calm! I. Am. perfectly. Calm!" She punctuated each word by poking him in the ribcage.

"Yeah, that was convincing." Clark said, dryly.

"Shut up and drive, Mugsy"

"Whatever you say, Rocky."

* * *

Oliver, post much needed shot, marched determinedly over to his wife's cubicle and loomed over her. Chloe sighed audibly before swiveling around in her office chair and fixing him with an icy professional look of inquiry. "Yes, Mr. Queen?"

"I need to talk to you."

"I'm busy."

"Get un-busy."

Chloe sneaked a peak to her phone, willing it to ring. It didn't. "I have work to do."

"This is more important. I want to see you in my office, ASAP!"

"No!"

"I'm not above firing my own wife you know!" It was an out right lie. And they both knew it. But he was a husband on the edge- she was going to talk to him whether she liked it or not!

"Yes, you are," she called his bluff, crossing her arms over her chest.

Oliver didn't let the now generous portion of cleavage peeping out of the top of Chloe's button-down shirt distract him. Well not for long, at least.

"Five minutes!" Was all he said before turning on his heel and storming back to his office slamming the door with a resounding and final _BANG!_

Chloe didn't notice how dead the office had gotten until the last of the echoes from Oliver's loud tantrum reverberated through the room. No one said a word. There were no sounds of typing. No phone calls. Nothing.

It stayed that way until Chloe, gathering as much dignity as possible rose from her chair and calmly followed her husband. She shut the door behind her quietly and snapped the blinds shut. If he wanted to air their dirty laundry in front of the entire office, so be it.

* * *

"You don't really believe that guy, do you Lois?" Clark demanded as they drove back from what was, in his opinion, a complete waste of time. However, judging by Lois's silence it seemed they weren't exactly on the same page.

"It doesn't matter what I believe, Smallville." She said, worrying her bottom lip. "It's the facts that matter and that guy had a lot of them."

"Maybe, but-"

"But what, Clark? You heard him. You saw the evidence. Maybe my good guy is really a bad guy." It wouldn't be the first time Mr. Wonderful turned out to be Dr. Evil. Her track record wasn't exactly golden when it came to characterizing men. It was always a hit or miss and more often the latter than the former.

"Lois, if he was some sinister vigilante than why would he save you? Clark pointed out. "_Twice_."

Lois slumped deeper into her seat. "I don't know. Maybe it's part of his evil scheme. Lure us all into a false sense of security then- BAM! Metropolis becomes mindless minion city!"

"Lois that's ridiculous!"

"Prove me wrong. Give me hard, concrete evidence that My Source was way off base? Do you have photos? Video? An interview? Who's to say he isn't just trying to trick us. Maybe he is one of Lex's experiment gone rogue?" That thought ignited old anger in the pit of her stomach. Baldy had been MIA for years now, and her hatred of him though dormant, still threatened to erupt from time to time.

"I thought you were convinced this guy was a hero?" Clark almost swerved into the sidewalk.

"Watch the road, Clark!" Lois screeched.

"Never mind that, answer the question."

"Look, what was I supposed to think?" She threw her hands up dramatically. 'The guy magically pops up and snatches me out of mid-air twice! Who wouldn't think he batted for our team? But the facts tell a different story. And unfortunately that's the story I have to go with. Unless, something else happens before tomorrow."

"Why? What's tomorrow?"

"My deadline. Well, OK my deadline was actually last week, but that large purple vein in Perry's neck may pop if I don't turn something into him tomorrow." Lois looked mournfully at the tape recorder sitting on the files in her lap. "And this is what I've got. Like it or not."

"You can't be serious?" Clark couldn't believe his ears. She was actually going to write it? She was going to paint him as the villain of the story? Sure, there were the so-called_ facts_ but how could she believe them?

Clark cursed himself. Why wouldn't she believe them? Hell, if he weren't her magical flying man he'd believe them too! Whoever, Mr. Hidden-in-the-Shadows was his incriminating evidence against the Blur was staggering. It was incredible how a person could twist events and create facts to suite their own warped view.

Clark tried one more time to persuade Lois, "what does your heart tell you, Lois?"

The reporter made a rude noise. "It doesn't matter what my heart says, Clark. I don't write for the opinions section, do I?"

"No. But you shouldn't be so hasty. What about looking at things from every angle?"

"What other angle is there, Smallville? I don't have any other facts. And the statements I've gotten from other witnesses only prove to fuel the theory that this superhero isn't what he appears."

"What do you mean?"

Lois rotated in her seat. "No one has ever seen this guy's face, Clark. He shows up in the nick of time, saves your life then blurs off into the night? There's something a bit off about that, don't you think?"

"Maybe he's protecting his identity?"

"Why not just wear a mask?"

"Maybe he thinks they're uncomfortable?"

Lois laughed. "Yeah, I'm sure that's it. Don't you see, Clark? This guy is too good too be true."

"I still think you need to look into it a little more. I mean the first big break you get and your just going to write the article?"

"Yeah," Lois blinked at him, "it's kind of my job. You do remember what being a reporter entails, right?"

"What about the flying man's side of story?"

"I threw myself off a building, Clark. If that's not a cry for attention I don't know what is?"

"Have you even tried another way of getting in contact with him?"

Clark thought for a moment he saw the brunette turn red. But that was impossible. Lois didn't blush. Except she was, "I- I took out a personal ad in the paper a couple of times." She confessed.

"You what?" Clark pulled into her driveway and put the car in park.

"The guy is literally faster than Olsen's camera shutter- what do you want me to do?"

"I don't know. I just-"

"And why are you all of a sudden so gun-ho about this guy?" She scrutinized.

"Like I said. I-I just don't want you to jump to conclusions before you have all the facts," Clark repeated. "That's all."

Yep. That was all. He was just trying to look out for her. He had no selfish motives of his own. Nope. None whatsoever.

He had to do something fast before Lois tarnished his good name.

He was just about to make up some lame excuse when he looked over and saw her struggling to get her crutches out of the bed of his truck.

"Here." He hopped out of the car. "Let me get those."

He handed her the crutches and helped her up the front porch stairs. "Chloe won't be getting home until late." Lois said, abruptly changing the subject while she fumbled for her keys. "She and Oliver are hashing it out at the office."

"So, she might not be coming home at all tonight?" Clark questioned with a smirk.

"Let's hope not." Lois smiled, "I'm starving. Wanna cook me something for dinner?"

"Whatever you say, boss," Clark answered "What are you in the mood for?"

Lois turned the lock and Shelby pounced on them slobbering barking happily. Clark decided that figuring out a way to foil Lois's plans could wait a few more hours.

**TBC**

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**A/N:** You know what I want...Please? I need it. So much. I need your- Lo- er- I mean Reviews! I need to know what you think...

And just a little FYI it's going to get a little steamy next chapter so the** rating may go up! **


	15. Giving Up and Giving In

**A/N: **I'm not going to preface this with anything- I hope ya'll like it!

**Chapter 15**

**Giving Up and Giving In**

"You wanted to see me, Mr. Queen?"

"Sit." Came the authoritative voice from across the room. Ollie was leaning against the desk a drink in his hand.

"You shouldn't be doing that at work," Chloe scolded, refusing to be bossed around she widened her stance and crossed her arms dangerously over her chest. "Are you stupid?" Oliver ignored her.

After lifting the flask up to his lips for a quick drink of liquid courage, he went straight for the jugular.

"Why were you following me that day?"

Chloe instantly knew which day he was referring to, but she hid her alarm behind a cool exterior.

"I wasn't following you," she said, "I was following_ her_! _You_ were a big fucking surprise!" OK, so maybe not as cool as she'd thought.

Stupid pregnancy.

Oliver furrowed his brows. "You know the baby can hear you, right?"

The blonde threw her hands into the air exasperatedly. "Now you're worried about the baby? You've been pretending it didn't exist since the sonogram- but all of a sudden you're Jim fucking Anderson?"

"Who?" Ollie blinked vacuously.

"_Father Knows Best_."

"You make the weirdest pop culture references."

"Quit trying to change the subject!" Chloe accused.

"I'm not." Ollie assured her. He was the one that had asked for this conversation in the first place.

"You can't just order me into your office and insult me you lying rat!"

"Chloe I didn't-"

"You. Are. An-" she struggled trying to find an original adjective, "ASS!" But then again nothing beat a classic.

"Is that why you left? Just packed up and disappeared on me?" He roared, the alcohol in his system was finally kicking in and he felt a little less tense and more bitter.

"I didn't disappear I told you where I was," she muttered. If he thought she was going to cower, he had another thing coming.

"Yeah, you said a lot in that novella you wrote me- everything but _why_." He pushed himself roughly off the desk and advanced towards her.

Chloe stood her ground.

"I think we just covered that!"

"I never touched her, Chloe!"

"Ha!" She spat and side stepped around a chair when he reached for her. "I _saw_ you!"

"You _saw_ wrong!" He insisted trying to dart around the plush piece of furniture between them, but Chloe was on to his game and pivoted just out of reach.

She wasn't afraid of Oliver. She knew he wasn't going to hurt her. But she also knew once he got his hands on her, her resolve would disintegrate and she would end up forgiving him.

And she wasn't ready to do that- not yet. Not until she got the answers she needed- not until she got the real truth.

"Just tell me what you want!" The strangled desperation in his voice almost did her in. "Please, Chloe-"

"I want to go back!" She shouted, her eyes filling with hormonal tears, "I want _you_ to go back!"

"Back where?"

"To the way you _used _to be!" _Back when you couldn't keep your hands off me!_

That caused Oliver to pause, "what do you mean?"

"You never used to care about late night budgeting meetings or stupid client dinners or finance reports-" _you never slept in your office all night_.

"Which was irresponsible!" Ollie defended. "I almost let the empire that my parents built fall to pieces, Chloe!"

"But you didn't!" She fired back. "You never did!"

"It's different now," the billionaire replied quietly.

"Why?" He knew she was close to hysterics- her voice was unsteady and she turned from him to hid the pools of water in her sparkling green eyes.

"Because-" he started carefully. "Because I'm going to be a father. And what am I going to tell my kid when he's older, huh? Well, son. I did a lot of whoring and drinking in my youth- but it's OK because I put on a leather suit and help save the world!"

"So this about your- legacy?" Chloe asked, inching toward him cautiously.

"I guess," Ollie sighed and ran an unsteady hand through his hair. "I don't know. I'm just-"

"Terrified?" Chloe finished.

"To say the least," Ollie smiled as she made her way toward him, cautiously.

"Me too."

"You?" He gave his wife an incredulous look. "You of all people have nothing to worry about. Our kid Googles "Chloe Sullivan" and they're going to get facts like _Valedictorian of her High School_ and _worked her ass off to get where she is, today. _Our kid types in Oliver Queen and a bunch of paparazzi headlines screaming _Man-Whore_ and _Drunk _will pop up!"

"Is that what you're afraid of? That our child won't be proud of you?"

"I just can't be that guy anymore, Chlo. I have to start thinking about the future- I have to grow up."

Chloe froze in her tracts and pinned him with a glare. "So what does that mean? You're going to start working seventy hour weeks and becoming Mr. Big Time Billionaire now?"

"If I have too!" Didn't she understand?

"What about your other duties?" Oliver watched as his wife's hands flew to her hips.

Not a good sign.

"I'll make time-" he started, but she cut him off.

"When? How? I'm afraid there aren't enough hours in the day, Mr. Queen! "

"Chloe!" He reached out in a final attempt to grab her and hold her and make her stay glued to him forever, but she twisted out of his grip and made a mad dash for the door.

"I hope you and your pride have a very good life together!"

Ollie opened his mouth to try and beg her to not to go, but his words were met with a loud resounding slam. And even after it faded Oliver could still hear the terrifying finality of it reverberating in the deep hallows of his chest.

* * *

Lois liked to watch Clark cook. For some reason a man in the kitchen flipping over fried chicken and taste-testing sauces was kind of sexy. Who knew? And just because Lois had been born "Domestically Deficient" didn't mean she couldn't pull her own weight. She'd chopped vegetables, grated cheese and Clark even let her add in the salt and pepper- supervised. Give her a sharp knife over a spatula any day.

"I feel like I'm five again," Lois told him when he snatched the pepper grinder out of her overly eager hands.

"You cook like you're five," he retorted, smirking while just narrowly dodging Lois's elbow as she tried to hit him in the ribs.

"Watch Smallville you're still on thin ice!"

Clark sighed dramatically. "The truth hurts sometimes, Lo,"

"Keep talking Farmer John." Lois warned, "Just remember I won't be on crutches forever."

"I'll take my chances." He held out a strange looking utensil to her. "Now whisk the Alfredo sauce before it burns."

"Don't order me around, you Sauce Nazi!"

"Please?" He gave her those damn puppy dog eyes and it was useless to even attempt to pretend to be mad at him.

Chiding herself for being such a push over, Lois snatched the metal whisk out of his grip, and began whisking.

When dinner was finished the kitchen looked like a disaster area, pots and pans were piled in the sink. The stove was covered in grease and burnt cheese and Shelby was busy licking up breadcrumbs from the floor. But Lois was too hungry to care, her stomach growled while Clark piled spaghetti onto her plate.

When her personal server set the plate down in front of her Shelby, bored with the few mediocre treats he found on the tile, trotted over to his master and rested his head against her knee. He gazed up at her with an expression that said _feed me. I'm adorable._

Lois gave her shameless dog a sharp look, "Off!" her overgrown puppy would get no scraps from her plate tonight. Shelby sighed, and slid his head from her lap and went back to hunting for crumbs.

Even though the Chicken was slightly over cooked and the sauce was a tinsy bit too salty and the noodles were just shy of al dente, Lois and Clark scarfed down the food like it was an Italian delicacy.

"I didn't think I was that hungry," the brunette confessed, scraping the last of her noodles onto her fork.

"Me either," Clark agreed. Watching her put the last morsels into her mouth.

God, she had a great mouth.

Whoops! Better stop that right now before-

_Oh hell._

His thoughts were interrupted when a tiny pink tongue quickly darted out of Lois's mouth and licked the smudge of Alfredo sauce from the corner of those perfectly plump, full lips that drove him crazy.

He was mesmerized by the small movement and Lois was completely oblivious to the fact that her seemingly, mild-mannered friend was about thirty seconds away from leaping across the table and pining her to the nearest hard surface-

Which would be a bad, bad idea! He tried to persuade his libido, very counter productive-

Oh, sweet Jesus. Counter. Lois spread out under him on the island in the kitchen- licking her lips and daring him to-

"I'll wash the dishes!"

Clark grabbed blindly for the plates and popped up out of his chair like a jack-in-the-box, before he did something dumb. This was not part of the plan. He did not let Lois talk him into staying for dinner so they could do an encore performance to the little incident that happened last time.

There was no way in hell he was going ten feet near that damn chaise tonight!

But then again, it really didn't matter what room they were in- what place they were together he wanted her. He always wanted her. And lately it was getting pretty damn exhausting trying to convince himself he didn't.

_Stick to the plan. _He told himself as he filled the sink. Lois's eyes were burning a hole in his back, but he didn't turn around. His plan wasn't exactly going according to the original blue prints. And with Lois writing that stupid article tomorrow-

"Are you OK?" He felt the heat of five, long delicate fingers as she affectionately squeezed his shoulder. It was an innocent touch- but it sent his pulse into overdrive anyway.

How did she get up? Her crutches were on the other side of the room!

"I'm fine," he said, giving her a weak grin.

"You seem," she leaned against his arm and he felt the side of her breast push into his triceps. "Nervous."

The plate he was washing fell from his hands and splashed into the sink full of warm soapy water.

"Oh." It was all he trusted himself to say. He had to focus on the washing the dishes- not ravishing his best friend-

"Smallville?" Her breath was tickling his ear, the hand on his shoulder started moving up to curve around his neck.

God, she was making this difficult.

"Hmm?" He was breathing deeply trying to settle the blood boiling in his veins. _Focus_. In through the nose, out through the mouth-

But Lois slid her body between his and the sink and Clark vaguely wandered how the hell she was managing all of this with a sprained ankle.

Both hands were now twined around his neck and her body shifted to fit against his and she gazed at him with a determined and sexy glint in her hazel eyes. She was a woman on a mission. And Lois Lane had always been someone who got what she wanted- and right now it looked like she wanted him.

"Clark-"

"Lois I-"

"Want this too," she finished. "I know you do, I just can't figure out why you're fighting it so hard."

He didn't know why either at the moment. Not when she was tucked so perfectly against him. Not when the smell of her was driving him up the wall. Not when her teasing fingers were playing with the loose strands of hair on the base of neck-

"Once," he heard himself say. Yes, just this one time and then- then he would tell her everything- anything she wanted. Sure she would probably be pissed- but he could handle that- an angry Lois Lane wasn't something new to him. But he had to have her. Now.

Just once.

"Once?" Lois asked, misunderstanding what he meant.

"We'll just do this one time to get it out of our system and then-"

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Her eyes flashed murder and her hands dropped from his neck. She took a swing at him, but he caught her fist in his grip and situated their bodies so that he pinned her other arm to her side.

"I think I'm the fuck you want," he answered, cockily, kissing her so completely she stopped straining in his grip long enough to enjoy the pressure of his mouth on hers and shudder from the heat stirring in her lower abdomen.

"Bastard!" She said breathlessly when he pulled away. "You can't kiss me like that after what you said!"

"I believe I can and I did," he said, his voice unrepentant.

Lois glared at him, "I'm so mad at you right now I can't think straight!"

"Good." He said lowly, "I don't want you to think." Then he bent his head, nuzzling into her hair and licking the pulse point at the base of her neck before tracing her jaw with his nose and brushing his lips across the smoothness of her skin.

"I'm furious with you!" She said, panting and still half-heartedly trying to fend him off. If only he didn't feel so damn good-

"I know," she saw his smirk as he pulled back to gaze at her, "But you'll still say, yes."

She cursed at him and struggled, putting a little more effort into trying to free herself from his clutches. And telling him exactly where he and his _one night stand_ idea could go! But Clark was too distracted by how her breasts felt so perfectly pushed up and squished against his chest and how her eyes-irate and fiery- blazed at him and how her mouth- spouting off ever dirty word in the book- still looked so flush-

He kissed her again, this time leaning into her and moving his arms, allowing her the freedom she wanted, so he could move his hands under her sweater and up her belly and across her breasts, squeezing and stroking her soft mounds until she fell into him and sighed.

He made her boneless and soft, limp with desire. He'd trapped her without using any restraints- and she hated that they both knew it.

The problem was the pleasure, Lois decided. If he didn't feel so good and if she didn't want him so much- she'd have killed him already. He was acting like an utter jerk instead of Clark, all haughty and macho.

But he knew just how to touch her to make her forget and he was finally kissing her- really kissing her. Kissing her stupid, apparently. And his fingers, dragging across her skin, were making her crazy. When he slipped his tongue into her mouth she finally gave in and yielded against his kiss.

He hauled her closer and wrapped one arm around her shoulders and the other under her knees lifting her into the air.

"I believe your bedroom is upstairs."

"We're going to have this fight," she promised, managing to finally tear her lips away from his.

"Later," he told her before he began plundering her mouth again and carrying her towards the staircase.

Right. _Later_.

**TBC**

**

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****A/N:** Yes, I stopped it there. And yes it is all part of my evil plan to keep you all burning for the next chapter- Muhahahahaha!


	16. Desperate Measures

**A/N:** As always thank you a thousand times over for the feedback! Keep 'em coming! And please note that the rating on this story has been raised! But just to reiterate the point- **WARNING: This story is Rated M and contains graphic sexual content and coarse language. You have been warned! **

**Chapter 16**

**Desperate Measures**

Clark's mouth never left hers as he tumbled them both to the bed, rolling so she was straining beneath him. Lois arched her back because the weight of him pressing her into the mattress was so erotic and his hands skimming down her hips and thighs and cupping her buttocks made her squirm and pant.

He pulled back just long enough to remove his shirt, then slinked up her body again, tugging her deeper into the delicious darkness of pure mindless pleasure, just as she imagined he would. It was a place she'd never been before, because she'd never been with someone like Clark. The kind of guy that would say something like 'I'm the fuck you want,' infuriating her and turning her on at the same time. The kind of gorgeous man you'd expect to make you mindless. And he did. He made her completely brainless-

Well. Almost.

There was still one stubborn part of her that fought to hold on to sanity. A part of her that whispered, _are you sure this is what you want?_ But before she could overly dwell on the annoying statement, Clark's eager fingers slipped beneath her shirt and slid up the taut muscles of her ribcage finding her bust and she was once again spiraling down into the depths of passion.

If only her conscience would let her drown in peace. Alas, reasoning poked its head up out of the swirling waves of desire_. Will you regret this? It's Smallville. Are we sure this is a good idea? _Then Clark nibbled a patch of nerves by her ear and licked down her throat, recklessly wresting the buttons from her blouse. And her brain shut down again. All she was aware of was the pressure of his hands on her breasts and his mouth nipping at her lips and skin.

_Are we sure we want this?_ And distant voice asked cutting through the haze and Lois went still for a moment as if contemplating what it meant. However, she didn't get very far because Clark was kissing down her torso- unhooking her bra, playing with the zipper on her jeans. He was more gentle than necessary while taking them off- mindful of her injury. And when he was done he tossed the garment aside and just stared at her. No. It was more than that. He wasn't just watching her; he was feasting on her with his eyes. Gazing at her like she was the most delectable thing he'd ever seen.

She'd never felt so- wanted. Sure, there'd been other guys who'd given her those mediocre bedroom eyes. She wasn't exactly Sandra Dee or anything. But this was on a whole new playing field. Watching him watch her gave her goose bumps. Pinpricks of electricity popped and sizzled over body like tiny explosions of heat and excitement.

Without warning he swooped down on her roughly- almost clumsily- and it felt so wonderful. It was perfect. His mouth found her left breast and she gasped as his tongue flicked and rolled against the tips until they were pebbled and sensitive. Lois threw her head back, her hands dancing through his hair.

Just as he was tugging back down sweet oblivion, she sprung back up. Her brain hoisting her backs into consciousness like a lifeline. _Think about this, Lane. Sure. You want him. He wants you. But there's got to be a morning after, right? _She felt like a bobber in choppy water. Up and down. Sinking and floating. Lust or Logic? What did she really want? And while her mind warred against itself, Clark rolled her body and tempted her deeper into the dark waters of sweet oblivion. If only she wasn't being tethered to the dock by her insecurities. _This is what you wanted right?_ And his body strained and ground against hers and she was lost again. It was like having proverbial whiplash.

This game of tug-o-war had to stop before she got seasick.

_Is it worth it?_

_Oh,_ _God. Yes!_ Clark's fingers crawled over her inner thigh and cupped her core. _Yes. Right there. Oh!_ He ground the heel of his hand into her with more precision that she expected. She wiggled and moaned beneath his sweet, almost tortuous touch trying to create more heat more-

_Logic!_ She thought as her brain barely reached the surface of the darkness she also wanted desperately to seep into. But her brain was gasping for a bit of rationality. She wanted to be in control she needed to-

_Christ Almighty! _

She gasped and Clark yanked her panties off and removed his own jeans and boxers in one swift move.

She opened her mouth, not completely sure why. But it didn't matter because no sound passed over her lips.

If he would just slow down she could think- she could assess the situation- she could look at this pragmatic-

Before she could blink, he was on her again, coarse and unpolished and vigorous. His hot skin against hers creating a slow burning in the pit of her stomach, grabbing at her hips and dipping his tongue into her belly button and moving lower- he spread her legs- she struggled to close them, but he was stronger and much more determined.

_Now just wait a min-! _

He licked into her

_Fuck. Me. _

She crumbled like house built on sand. Each lave of his tongue was like wave of ecstasy hitting her harder and harder and the tension in her body grew and muscles she'd forgotten about constricted involuntarily.

"Don't stop!" Was that her voice? She didn't know. She didn't care as long as he didn't stop!

"Please don't stop!"

But he did stop. He stopped just when she thought she was going to die from the heat of his mouth and the pressure of his strokes. He stopped just as she reached the precipice of passion and was about to willingly fling herself over the edge and straight into the tempting void of his pleasure.

She reeled back, both grateful and disappointed. _Maybe I'm not doing it right? Not that I've had any complaints before- _

Then he slid up her body and pushed inside of her, silencing any more pesky doubts floating around her brain.

_Oh. Dear. Sweet. Jesus._

He felt so- so- different than she thought he would. She didn't know what she'd expected him to feel like other than solid and filling and wonderful. And he did feel like all of those things, moving inside of her. But there was something else- something more- something she couldn't quite name.

He was so-

Clark interrupted her thoughts by turning them over so Lois was above him and she automatically scrambled to straddle his hips, making sure not to put too much weight on her bad ankle. She thought that maybe now she'd be able to take some sort of control over this situation.

She was wrong.

She tried to take her time and set her own pace. Grinding against pelvis sensuously, leisurely. But just because he was letting her ride the bull didn't mean she was getting to run the rodeo. After a few moments, Clark pressed his fingers into her rolling hips and bucked into her hard and fast. _No!_ _Slower-Yes! It feels so good. _But she couldn't keep up and- and-

She'd never had to many second thoughts about going to bed with someone while in the middle of coitus! Before? Sometimes. After? Oh, yeah! But during? What kind of person did that?

The kind of person who'd never been this terrified and dazzled by someone before. He devastated her. Overwhelmed her. Invigorated her. Frightened her. And he made her feel way too damn good!

She grasped his shoulders and rode him- doing her best to match his savage tempo. She felt out of control. Dizzy. Almost light headed from the delicious friction they were making. His fingers dug into her skin as she clawed into his back and pulled at his hair.

She thought she heard him say something, but his words sounded jumbled and muffled and his voice was like sand paper grating pleasantly against her ears drums. She moaned and whimpered as he plowed into her. Faster and harder with each exquisite thrust, sitting up so he could hold her against him and feel their bodies moving together in a feral, syncopated rhythm. Lois clung to him. He was going to make her fall- _Stop!_ He rocked into her. Never slowing down. Never showing any signs of fatigue. Those fiercely tender eyes always locked onto hers.

_Don't stop! Never stop!_

Rough hands seized the sides of her face and his forehead connected with hers. "Yes!" He was telling her over and over again. His voice suddenly clear and low and his hot minty breath washed over her face and she touched her nose to his. "Oh, God Lois!_"_ She clutch inside and wriggled against him, catching herself once more- _you're out of control! Have you lost your mind? –_

The pressure simmering inside of her was building and compressing and threatening to explode and shatter within her.

_But- _

"Come on!" His teeth were clenched, but she could feel his lips forming the words on her mouth as he surged into her again and again. "Come for me Lois."

_Clark._ And she up looked and stared in his flashing black eyes, shivering and grasping him tighter. _Smallville_. And that's was all she needed to break against him, sharp, fast, and hard and unexpected. He followed suit and collapsed against her a few seconds later. She didn't let go of him as she tried to remember how to breathe. And they were still connects. Face against face, chest against chest, and he was still inside of her.

They stayed like that for a long minute, then he pushed her back and she frowned at the loss of his body heat. But he didn't notice. He was too busy tracing his hand across her stomach and around her breasts where he'd just been. Dipping between her legs just watch her crane her back and roll into the pressure. He bent his head and kissed her breast and she curled toward him. Then he moved to taste her mouth- hot and salty and familiar- and when he pulled away Lois closed her eyes and let sanity return to her brain.

"Damn."

So this is what it bittersweet felt like, Clark thought. It was difficult to feel depressed after good sex, but he was managing. He knew this would happen if he and Lois ever made love. He knew this was coming. A naïve part of his pride figured that maybe sleeping with Lois would help him get her off his mind. They'd have sex and _Poof!_ Mystery solved. But she was more puzzling than ever. And he wanted her again. But that had to wait. He was going to tell her. He had too. That was the plan, right? Well, it had also been the plan to "fuck her out of his system" and that had blown up in his face!

_Get out of this bed! _But his hand went to her anyway, she was so hot and curvy and smooth. He just wanted to touch her. Always. She didn't look like Lois lying there, her lips bending upward in a sensuous smile. Her hair tangled and wild and everywhere, she looked exotic and tantalizing. The kind of woman a man wanted to fuck. The kind of woman a man wanted for himself.

He studied her- trying to make her ordinary- unattractive. He gauged the luscious slope of her breasts and solid lines of her stomach. Noting the faint scar on the swell of her belly from the appendectomy she'd had when she was ten. He fought the urge to trace it with his tongue and fingertips. He measured the thickness of her hips- it wasn't a perfect body. Not unless you wanted to sink into those hips. Not unless you wanted a giving woman, lush with heat and flesh and strength.

"You're staring," She whispered, shifting uncomfortably and bringing an arm over to hide her naked breasts,

"Nope," he said pulling her arms back. "I get to stare," _because you're mine. _

He took her mouth again and hauled her toward him. Running his hands down her spine, feeling every vertebrae against his fingers until he reached her butt_ -this is mine_- She was so round and full and tight and sculpted. He wanted her under him again- open and soft and moaning.

He thought about turning her over and pushing against her firm butt and cupping her succulent breasts from behind, about taking her against the wall with those sexy legs wrapped around his hips and her favorite pair of kitten heels digging into his ass. About going down on her again. He wanted to taste her. Lick into her and savor how hot and sweet she was, feel how mindless he made her.

She leaned up and kissed him, suddenly. Her tongue outlining his lips until he opened up and let her suck and nip at him. She pushed him down and ran her fingers over his torso and his chest. Biting his lips, moving against him. He laughed and looked at her. She looked like Lois again- except Lois transformed- her eyes bright with lust, her lips red and bruised because he'd taken them hard some many times with his mouth, her hair tussled and messy pouring over shoulders and down her back. She was Lois Lane debauched. She looked like she'd been thoroughly had, laid, screwed, done, sucked and fucked.

She looked like his Lois.

"You're perfect." He told her simply and before she could protest he took her mouth again. _This is mine._ Yanking her onto him and him so she was spread out and wriggling against him like a fish out of water, Clark threaded a hand through her hair and pulled her closer. Wanting to make her a part of him, take her, claim her- Keep her.

Lois pushed at chest and he pulled back. She blinked at him a couple of times and he smiled at her attempts to gain some equilibrium and look unfazed.

"As much as I would love to go for a round two," she slid a finger down his chest. "I've got a story to write," she nuzzled his neck. "And you have to leave."

Clark frowned. "Really? Just like that? Wham, Bam thank you Clark?"

She giggled and kissed his ear. "Well you're the one who said _just once_, right?"

"I say a lot of stupid, idiotic untrue things," Clark replied, grimacing because it was the cold hard truth of his life.

"Don't give me that look." She said. "If you stay, I'll never get anything done."

"I still think you're jumping the gun on this story," he said. He should tell her now. Right this instant while she was peering at him with lusty, half lidded eyes and parted, puffy red wine lips.

But before he could summon the courage a car pulled into the drive way and Lois leapt off the bed and stumbled to her window. "Ouch! Damn ankle." She muttered, peering though the blinds. "Chloe's back which means she and Oliver didn't make up and you really have to go. Now!"

"Why?" Clark caught his jeans as she lobbed them at his chest. "Are you ashamed of me?" His tone was mocking.

Lois gave him a flustered look and propelled a shoe at his head. "No! It's just-" she bit her lip. "She and Ollie are going through a rough time and finding out that you and I did the horizontal-"

"And vertical."

"Bedroom Mamba probably wouldn't be the best, right now. She doesn't need anymore stress in her life. I'm already worried this baby is going to come out with a built in pace maker!"

Clark shoved his feet into his shoes, zipped his fly and threw his shirt over his head. "And what should I tell her I was doing in your room?"

Lois shrugged. "You're a smart man, Clark. I'm sure you'll figure it out." She said, literally pushing him out into the hallway. He turned before she could slam the door and kissed her.

* * *

"Clark?" Chloe beamed at him from the foot of the steps while scratching Shelby behind the ear.

"Hey, Chlo." He pecked her cheek when he reached the bottom and turned his gaze toward her swelling tummy. "And baby."

"Where's Lois?"

"Oh," Clark rubbed the back of neck, "she was tired. So I carried her up the stairs and- uh,"

"Tucked her in?" Chloe finished, furrowing her brows curiously at him.

"Something like that," Clark replied. "You know Lois, too independent for her own good."

"I bet it was a fight." The blond agreed, smiling.

"I don't mind," Clark answered returning her smirk, "I like a challenge."

"Speaking of challenges," the blonde said, "how did your meeting go?"

"Not so good."

"What happened?"

Clark paused for a moment, said, "it was a complete- bust." He hadn't lied to Chloe in a very long time. And the words tasted weird falling out of his mouth. But Lois was right, she didn't need anymore stress in her life. And his new hero persona being bad-mouthed over the city was something his best friend would undoubtedly freak out about. Especially when she found out it was her favorite cousin doing the slandering.

"Another wild goose chase?" Chloe concluded and Clark nodded mutely.

"No wonder Lois wanted to go to bed so early."

"She'll bounce back," Clark said, grabbing his coat from the tree.

"Going back to the Penthouse?" Preggers inquired, her tone implied casualty, but her eyes told a different story.

"No. The farm. I've got some- things to take care of," Clark answered vaguely.

"Blur business?" Chloe whispered, glancing at the staircase to make sure Lois wasn't eavesdropping.

"Yep," that was not a lie- technically. It wasn't exactly the whole truth- but at least it was in the ballpark of honesty.

_Whatever helps you sleep at night, Kent!_

He bid his friend good-bye and drove faster than he meant to. He had to stop Lois from writing that article, but he needed the blur to get the exposure he deserved. He needed the people of Metropolis to trust him. He needed Lois to trust him.

* * *

Lois was agitated when Chloe told her that she would be driving her to work the next day, instead of Clark. This was not a good sign. Lois hadn't heard hide nor hair of the farm boy since he left yesterday. Not that she was being overly analytical or anything. So they'd slept together and he disappeared on her, so what? Although his Houdini act didn't make any sense. He'd seemed so reluctant to leave her yesterday- puppy dog eyes and all. She'd literally had to throw him out and now he was playing the avoidance game? Of course, this was Clark Kent- commitment phobe extraordinaire-she was dealing with.

He probably left, went home and when the his male brain had finally processed the events that happened his "not strings attached" reflex kicked in and now the only way she'd ever be able to contact him would be through smoke signals.

_Once. _

That's what he'd said, right? And what did she do? Threw herself at him like some desperate harpy!

Well, this was it. She was officially done with Clark Kent. If he was just going to love her- no fuck her and leave her- he could go to hell. And she'd tell him that to his face! The coward! Just as soon as she dropped off her hard copy of the Blur story to Perry, he threatened bodily harm if she didn't get it too him before the afternoon addition went to press.

Chloe pulled up to the curb and put her flashers on as Lois exited the vehicle and grabbed her crutches out of the back seat.

"Have a good day work, dear and play nice with the other reporters!"

"You should know by know I don't share well and I don't play nice with others." Lois retorted.

"Did someone piss in your cheerios this morning, cuz?" The blonde asked and Lois glared.

"No. Why?"

"You've been on the war path since this morning," Chloe said, "What's wrong? Is this because your Blur source turned out to be another crack lead?"

"What?"

"Don't be mad. Clark told me all about it yesterday. He said you were pretty upset."

Son of a-

"Oh, he did, did he?" Lois clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth methodically.

"Don't worry, cuz. I'm sure you'll get your man. You always do," Chloe winked and Lois wanted to punch someone- namely a certain reclusive farmer who was dynamite in the sack.

"Oh, I'll get him all right," Lois, muttered darkly more to herself than to Chloe. "Thanks for the ride." She slammed the door and hobbled toward the revolving entrance of the Planet.

Lois automatically knew something was different as soon as she stepped foot inside the newsroom. The usual buzz of the bullpen had increased ten fold, the air was practically palpitating with excitement; the interns were scrambling and bowling people over as sharp orders were being barked out above the white noise.

Lois spotted Jenna and called out to her.

"You mean you haven't seen it?" The young woman's eyes rounded like dinner plates.

"Seen what?" Lois asked. Someone better tell her what the hell was going on. Today was not the day to tap her short supply of patience.

"This." Jenna thrust a paper at her idol and Lois let out a heavy breath as she strained and read the byline.

**Interview With The Blur**

Her hazel eyes dilated with fury. First of all what kind of title was that? Could this person be any less creative? She scanned the article and growled. Gripping the paper so tightly her nails started to tear through the pages. Whoever this low-life, spineless, story stealer was- they weren't half bad! That enraged the brunette more.

The Blur was hers! Everyone knew that. She'd made that crystal clear over the past couple of weeks. And no one scooped Lois Lane if they knew what was good for them. Apparently this hack hadn't gotten that message. Well, she'd see to it that this glorified copy boy or girl got what was coming to them! Her eyes immediately went to the heading.

Now, Lois had never been the fainting type, but at that moment a feather could've knocked her on her ass.

The low-life, spineless soon to be deceased story stealer was-

Clark. Kent.

**TBC**

**

* * *

A/N:** DUN! DUN! DUNNNNNNN! So about those reviews...


	17. Too Little, Too Late

**A/N:** Thank you. Thank you. And oh, yeah. THANK YOU! You don't know how much I enjoy reading all of your comments/reviews/critiques- it's the highlight of my days sometimes!

**Chapter 17**

**Too Little, Too Late**

"Thank you Mr. White," Clark was exiting Perry's office at the precise moment that Lois slapped the newspaper into Jenna's chest.

"Kent!" The bullpen grew eerily quiet as every reporter seemed to stop what he or she were doing to watch as the enraged brunette half stalked half gimped, over to confront the man with big enough kahonas to scoop Lois Lane.

Too bad he was about to lose those kahonas.

Perry, completely oblivious to the situation, clapped Clark on the back as Lois approached, "say hello to the newest member of the family, Lane- and your new partner."

Lois was too busy giving Clark the evil eye to pay any attention to what her boss was saying. She leaned in dangerously close to her soon-to-be deceased best friend's face, narrowed her blazing eyes, and said, "my office. Five minutes." Through clenched teeth and Clark audibly gulped and nodded. Without another word the brunette turned- well did her best to turn on her good heel and headed toward the elevator stabbing the 'up' button several times.

"What was that about?" Perry asked.

Clark cleared his throat and shrugged, "Nothing."

"I haven't seen her that pissed off since Phil stole her dog," the editor went on.

"Yeah, if I don't come back down in an hour," Clark replied, "Send a search party."

"Here's some advice, don't look her directly in they eyes."

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

Perry patted him on the back and retired to his office, leaving Clark to face his fears alone. Taking a deep breath and tugging on the collar of his shirt, the newest Daily Planet reporter started walking toward the stairwell. Clark had been well aware that by _stealing_ Lois's story he was basically putting himself in immediate and imminent danger of the infamous wrath of Mad Dog Lane.

It was a good thing he was virtually indestructible or Lois may actually succeed in killing him during the skirmish they were about have. He heard the elevator finally ding open and looked back. She caught his stare and shot him an icy glare- promising that nothing pleasant was waiting for him when he met her upstairs- before the doors closed.

Turning back around with a heavy heart, Clark continued to zigzag through the busy office, toward the steps. His new colleagues watched him with expressions of sympathy, annoyance and amusement. A couple of them, patted his shoulder as he walked by and asked what kind of flowers he wanted at his funeral and one woman told him she'd grant him his last wish if he met her in the copy room-

Clark politely declined the invitation.

Just before he reached his salvation, Jenna came out of nowhere and stopped his with him with a deep scowl, "how could you?" She asked, disappointment saturating her tone. "I thought you were different. One of the good guys!"

"Jenna- it's complicated-" he tried lamely to explain.

"I thought you cared about her!"

"I do!" Clark defended, "I love her!" He opened his mouth to continue, hoping to sway the intern with a half-assed excuse then stopped, the words he'd just spoken finally registered in his brain. Oh, God. He loved her. He really loved her. He was completely, utterly- ball-'n-chain-white-picket-fence-cliché in love with Lois Lane.

"Clark?" Jenna shook him out of his flabbergasted daze.

"I have to go talk to her," he said, gently pushing past the strawberry blonde and starting up the stairs. "I have to tell her."

"It better be good!" Jenna called up after him. _Or Lois is going to eat you alive and spit out the bones._

When Clark finally made it to Lois's office, he hesitated. Should he knock? Or just go right in? She was expecting him, after all. Maybe he should just throw himself out of the nearest window and save her the trouble-

_Get it together, Kent! She's forgiven you for worst things. _Except he couldn't remember doing anything to Lois that could top scooping her out of story she'd been working on for weeks-

_Shit._

Eventually locating his nerve and taking a final deep breath through his nose, Clark timidly opened the door to the lioness's den and stepped in.

"Shut the door," the curt order was given by the brunette while she was sitting behind her desk studying what looked like an unfinished article.

Clark gently clicked the door closed, "Look, Lois I know what this looks like but-"

**SMASH!**

Clark dodged just in time as a very breakable and probably very heavy item shattered against the doorframe only inches away from his head, "Lo-is!" Clark shouted as his the reporter armed herself with a tape dispenser. The rookie wasted no time taking cover behind her filing cabinet.

This was something he had not expected- yelling, cursing, and maybe a well-deserved slap across the face? Sure. But being pelted by office supplies? He had definitely not seen that one coming.

"Lois, just let me explain!" he tried to reason. Her response was a vase that crashed on the edge of his semi-fortress and splintered into a million tiny bits.

"You jack ass! You seducing story stealing lower than dirt slime!" Lois shrieked, throwing anything within her reach in Clark's direction. Pens, a stapler, pencil holder, coffee mug-

"Lois!" Clark put his hands up in front of his face to shield himself as he came out of his hiding spot. A paperweight barely grazed his inner thigh, uncomfortably close to Clark Jr. "Hey!"

"Die!" Lois vehemently removed her top desk drawer and heaved it at Clark's head. He rolled out of the way by the skin of his teeth. Documents and manila folders swirled and floated to the floor while a hurricane of various items like staples and paperclips and whiteout pens rained down around him.

Scrambling clumsily to his feet Clark used the only thing he could find as a barricade- a fake palm tree. Lois let out some sort of warrior-like roar and chucked her crutches into the air hitting him square in the chest and calf. "Lois let me explain!" She was acting like a wild woman! And as fearful as Clark was- he was also a little turned on.

"Lois please let me explain! It's not what you think!"

"Go to hell!"

Bracing himself for another round of flying objects Clark curled into a defensive position. But the attack never came. Carefully, Clark chanced a glance at her and relaxed. His relief was short lived, however when he realized that he only reason the pelting had stopped was because Lois had momentarily ran out of things to lob at him. And while she was frantically searching for more heavy items to beat him with, Clark took advantage of the moment.

Cautiously lowering the tree back to the ground, the former farmer gingerly retrieved her crutches and slowly approached the seething brunette, like one would approach a ravenous wild jungle cat.

"Here," He presented the crutches to her and she whirled around and snatched them from his hands. Pinning his with a murderous glower.

"How could you do this to me?" She was eyeing the crutches with renewed interest- probably considering beating him with them. Repeatedly.

"Lois-"

"You are no better than- than Grant Gabriel!"

"Your sleazy junior editor from College! I think that's being a little harsh-" he reached for her out of habit and she jumped back in disgust.

"Don't. Touch. Me." Her voice was like venom. And Clark instantly dropped his hand.

"You did the exact same thing he did!" Lois emphasized her point by jabbing in the chest with her pointer finger. "Wooed me. Made me care about you-got me into bed! Then stole my exclusive from right under my nose! You made me feel so- used!"

Clark cringed at the last part. He was trying to block that particular occurrence from his memories. Lois had gone through a gallon and half of rocky road in one night.

"I didn't mean to make you feel like that Lois." Clark repented, "I never wanted to hurt you."

The reporter scoffed and rolled her eyes, "that's what they all say."

"This is different," Clark assured her, but she didn't look very convinced.

"The only way this is different is that I thought I knew you- I thought maybe you and I-" she trailed off, "but I was wrong."

"You don't understand!"

"Oh, I understand perfectly!"

"No you don't!" Clark burst out. "It was my exclusive! My story!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Lois screamed back, "the only reason you knew about the flying man in the first place was because I told you about him! He saved me!"

"No!" Clark resisted the urge to grab her by the shoulders and shake her, "I saved you." He finished quietly. "I'm your flying man."

Lois didn't respond right away. She just looked at him, breathing heavily, her hip pressed against the edge of her desk for support. Then, she surprised Clark for the second time that day when a fit of laughter bubbled up in her throat and escaped out of her mouth.

"That's it?" She howled, sounded more hysterical with each word, "that's your big explanation? Your so-called _solid_ defense? You've just reached a whole new level of pathetic, Kent!"

"I'll prove it," Clark said.

"Oh," Lois crossed her arms over her chest, and quirked an eyebrow, "this, I've got to see."

Clark stood in the middle of her disheveled office and closed his eyes.

"I'm waiting," Lois said, impatiently and he shushed her.

"Just hold on a minute. I have to concentrate."

Lois made a rude noise and Clark ignored it and focused solely on clearing his head of all the jumbled noise pollution around him and honed in on the semi-erratic beat of Lois's heart. Her seemingly calm exterior was nothing but a thin smokescreen. Her heart was pounding like a war drum against her ribcage. But it still did the trick.

Clark felt his feet lift off the ground and by the sound of Lois's astonished gasp he knew he'd made his point and floated back down to earth. "See?"

"I don't understand," the brunette blinked and rubbed her eyes in disbelief.

"I know," Clark said, "I was going to tell you last night, but Chloe came back and-"

"Last night?" Lois furrowed her brows and her body went stiff. "You were going to tell me _last night_! Not when you saved me the first time or even the second or even when I told you about- him- you saving me but- _last night_! Is when it finally crossed your pea brain that maybe you should let me know?"

"Lois I-"

"You knew I'd been breaking my back for this interview with the blur for weeks- and then it turns out that you- my supposed best friend of ten years- the man I'm sleeping with- are him!"

"Lois it's not that simple-"

"Oh, but I think it is," the reporter pushed herself off from the desk forgetting her crutches, and literally hoped over to him. "You've just proved exactly how simple it is."

"I'm sorry," and he meant it, "I just couldn't let you print something that wasn't true."

"That's isn't it," she whispered, "After all these years, you don't trust me." The sorrow and confusion reflecting in her hazel orbs almost brought him to his knees. "

"No!" Clark shook his head. "That's not it at all Lois. I do trust you. It's just-" he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, "I guess a selfish part of me wanted to be the one to tell the world my story."

"Fine I understand," Lois replied. "What I don't get is why you felt the need to lie and humiliate me in order to do that. You could've just told me the truth. Do you really think I'm that horrible? That selfish?"

"Of course not!"

"Then why?" It was a simple question.

"It's hard to explain-"

"Try!"

Clark paced a couple times and ran his hand through his hair. He'd never been good at putting his feelings into words. He usually kept things bottled up because it was easier that way- he could ignore them, pretend they weren't there, and go on with life as though he didn't have a care in the world.

He found his voice after a few floundering moments, "my secret hurts people, Lois. It changes them."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," he stopped to organize his thoughts, " Like when I told Lana about what I really was she looked at me like I was some kind of monster. I mean she eventually came to terms with it and told me we could work through it. But it was never the same between us. She never really looked at me the same way after that. We both thought that maybe if we got married it would-"

"Magically fix things?" Lois supplied,

Clark nodded, "yeah, except it only made everything worse."

"I'm sorry," Lois said.

"Don't be," Clark reassured her, "it was all for the best. She's really happy now and so am I."

Lois ignored the way his puppy dog eyes blazed into hers; she hated how easily he could affect her with just one stupid look. She didn't want to feel anything towards him at that moment other than blinding anger.

"You said, when_ people_ know your secret. Who else have you told?"

"Oliver and Chloe know, but I didn't tell them. Chloe kind of accidentally stumbled onto it and Oliver- uh- well he-"

"Is the Green Arrow," Lois finished. "I know. I kind of found his leather stash a couple of years ago."

Clark snickered, "does Chloe know you know?"

"Yes, I didn't tell you because it wasn't my secret to tell and I didn't have a fucking clue you were- _you_!" She gestured toward him with her hands as her anger returned with a vengeance.

"Lois-"

"Who else knows, Clark?"

"My parents, obviously." Clark suddenly got quiet and Lois bit her lip trying desperately not to feel any sympathy for him. He didn't deserve it.

"Lois," he looked like he was struggling to find the right words, "it's my fault my dad's dead."

"What?" Lois shook her head at him, "how can it be your fault? You were half way around the world!" She waited a beat, "weren't you?"

Clark couldn't help, but grin at the moment of vulnerability in her voice, "Yes, I was in India when it when it happened. But I'm the reason he had trouble with his heart in the first place."

"You're going to have to elaborate," Lois said, hobbling back to lean against her desk.

"To make a long story short," Clark abridged, the way he couldn't seem to stand in one place showed Lois just how difficult this was for him and she couldn't stop the momentary burst of compassion that snuck it's way into her heart.

"I made a stupid mistake as a teenager," Clark continued, "and because of this-uh- misjudgment my dad's health suffered. And when he had his heart attack it was while he was trying to protect my secret-" Clark broke off, unable to go any further. He'd never said those words out loud before to anyone. He'd always been too ashamed. The guilt was still there in his chest, weighing him down with contrition like a kryptonite boulder permanently strapped to his back. It was with him everywhere he went. He couldn't seem to shake it.

"Clark- stop beating yourself up!" Lois berated, gently, she tried to keep her mouth shut, but the pure devastation in his expression was too much to bear. And in spite of herself she wanted to wipe that look off of his face as soon as possible. "There's nothing I can say that will make you feel better. And I know you've probably heard this a million times, but it wasn't your fault."

"How can you say that?"

"Because it's the truth. You can't blame yourself for someone else's choices."

Clark changed the subject. He didn't want to talk about the past. They had to get back to the real reason of why he was telling her all of this, "So now you know. I didn't tell you my secret because I was trying to protect you-"

A bark of dry laughter escaped from the brunette's lips, "protect _me_?" she shook her head. "No, you were trying to protect yourself. It's been over six years since your dad's funeral and you haven't left that farm until now. Why?"

Clark shrugged, "The first time I saved you- the first time I flew- it was exhilarating. For the first time in my life I felt truly- content. Lois, there is a lot you don't know and I want to tell you- everything."

Lois almost gave in. He had that whole, earnest thing down. He knew exactly how to play on her emotions to weaken her defenses. But she was still angry and hurt and embarrassed. Her pride was more than bruised and no amount of Clark Kent charm could undo the damage that had already been done.

"I'm sorry Clark, it's too little, too late." She told him, already feeling the tears start to fill the lids of her eyes. But she stayed strong. "You know, I never thought I'd say this to an alien from another planet, but save it. I don't want to know you. You've had ten years and thousands of chances trust me, and you didn't. So, Clark or Cal-lel or whatever the hell your name is-"

"Kal-el," Clark corrected. "My birth name is Kal-el. Lois-"

"Fine. _Kal-el_ I think you should go."

"Lois please-"

"Get. Out." She shouted, but Clark didn't move. He grabbed her hands and didn't let go.

"Lois, I love you."

She would've smacked him if she could have.

"How. Dare. You." Her voice was dangerously low and heavy with malice. "On top of everything else- now you're trying to manipulate my feelings?"

"No." Clark said, releasing her, "I just wanted to tell you that before I left."

"Fine. You've said it. Now leave!"

"I am," he said, but before he exited her office he turned around and added, "but just so you know I'm not going to stay away. You're now officially my partner. And I'm going to do everything I can to make you forgive me."

"Unless you can turn back time I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you," Lois said.

**TBC**

**A/N:** So..Thoughts?


	18. What's Love Got To Do With It?

**A/N:** Once again thank you all so much for your lovely comments! They are like bright rays of sunlight breaking through the darkness in my tortured soul!...Sorry. I seem to have a flair for the melodramatic tonight. Anyway, now prepare yourself for the longest chapter- so far. I didn't intend for it to be this long originally- but oh well.

**Oblivious- **Don't worry I'm not offended in the least! Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I like it when people give me their honest feedback. And you're right I probably should change the genre to "angst" in the beginning I wasn't expecting this story to go as angsty as it did- but I've found as you write a story- you have to go where the characters take you even if you didn't plan it from the beginning, you know? Thanks again for reading!

**Chapter 18**

**What's Love Got To Do With It?**

Phil was late to work, again. He'd overslept because he'd spent half the night in a roomy rental car parked across the street of Lois's deathtrap of a house, waiting for Clark to leave. He still couldn't believe that Lois was staying. After all he'd done to try and show her it wasn't safe. Prove to her that she needed him, like he needed her. She was just being stubborn, he told himself, like when they'd first started dating- he'd have to really make her listen soon. But he didn't want her to get hurt, again. He hadn't meant for her to sprain her ankle in the first place.

He wasn't supposed to cut all the way through the banister- just a little bit so the foundation crumbled and Lois_ almost_ fell- but didn't. So that it scared her enough to come back to him- and the security of their apartment. And everything would have been fine if it wasn't for that mangy fur ball with legs! It was that damn dog's entire fault he'd lost his concentration. Stupid mutt had kept barking at him and growling- distracting him. If it wasn't for that animal Lois would still be with him and she wouldn't be hurt, but she was hurt and Phil felt heavy with guilt every time he saw her hobbling around The Planet. All he was trying to do was just show her the hazards of living alone and without him.

But she hadn't been alone last night. She'd been with Clark. They'd almost spent the whole day together. And he'd stayed at her house for a long time. Which wasn't strange. They'd probably been laughing and talking in the kitchen or watching an old movie on the couch or playing guitar hero all evening like always. At least that's what Lois had said they usually did. And even though he knew he didn't have to worry about Clark- it was Clark- he was still jealous. Envious that another man was with_ his_ Lois, laughing with her and talking with her and probably touching her- in a strictly platonic way, of course. Because that's how they were together, just like siblings. Clark was not a threat.

Still, it annoyed Phil- gnawed at his brain, that the farmer was always around lately. He was always at The Planet- picking up and dropping Lois off and taking her crutches and helping her into his truck and now he was even chauffeuring her around and meeting sources with her! It wasn't fair!

He'd followed them all yesterday and every time they touched or he made her smile, Phil's blood ran cold and the slow burn of indignation would start simmering in gut- he hated it. _Hated it!_ Even thinking about it now, as he turned his car into The Daily Planet parking garage, made him grind his teeth.

It was so unfair that Clark got to be with her and the closest he could get was across the street, watching and waiting. The only joy he'd gotten out of the previous day was seeing Lois peep her head out of a window upstairs when Chloe's car pulled into the driveway. Phil realized that, that must have been her bedroom window and thought that's where she sleeps and showers and gets dressed while listening to that awful music. He smiled while his eyes soaked in her sweet face and held onto the memories of when she used to do all those things in_ their_ room, at _their_ apartment, except he'd put a stop to the music, after a few weeks. But he'd gladly suffer through another Whitesnake sing-a-long if it meant she'd come back to him and stay for good.

A few minutes after Chloe had gone inside, Clark finally came out and drove away. And the balloon of pressure that had been expanding in Phil's chest slowly deflated and he'd relaxed the rest of the night, praying that he would see another little glimpse of his angel.

Phil turned the key in the ignition and rubbed his head, taking a cleansing breath. She hadn't graced him with another peek last night, but that was all right, because he and Lois would be together soon and he'd be able to look at her and touch her and laugh with her all he wanted.

He'd see to it.

* * *

Lois did something she'd never done before in her entire career at the Daily Planet- she went home early. She gave Perry some half-assed excuse about not feeling well and called Chloe. She hadn't seen hide nor hair of Clark since they had their argument, which wasn't a news flash; he was trying to give her some space. Let her cool off before he started harassing her. She didn't doubt for a moment that he wouldn't make good on his promise to do everything in his power, get back in her good graces- too bad, "time travel" wasn't one of his super abilities.

The reporter was already standing on the curb waiting for her cousin when the familiar yellow Yaris pulled up. Lois threw her crutches in the back and managed to get herself seated in the passenger side. She couldn't wait until she was able to drive again. This whole being carted around thing was really starting to tick her off. She hated having to rely on others, even for the menial task of getting from point A to point B.

"Sorry," Lois said, clicking her seat belt.

Chloe shrugged, "don't worry about it, Lo. Even though it might not be for much longer, I'm still the boss's wife and if I need to cut out early to make sure my cousin hasn't had a mental break down. I can."

Lois snorted. "Don't worry, Cuz. You don't have to make any permanent reservations at Bell Reeve for me, just yet." She paused, "it's just been a horrible day and I had to get out."

"What happened?" Chloe asked, honestly worried. This had to be something huge because her elder cousin had never voluntarily left her job early. It usually took the Jaws of Life to pry her away from her desk! Even when the brunette had been sick as a dog with pneumonia she and Clark still had to keep watch around the clock to make sure the crafty army brat didn't try to sneak into work.

"Lo?"

The brunette considered lying for a split second then vetoed the idea. What was the point? So, after worrying her bottom lip for few moments longer, she told her cousin everything- about the sex, about the article, and about Clark.

"Wow," the blonde said, after Lois had finished.

"Yeah," the elder woman sighed.

"That's a lot," Chloe concluded and Lois agreed again.

"Well, it explains why he was acting so strange the other night when I caught him coming down from your room," the younger woman wiggled her brows.

"That part was pretty great," Lois admitted.

Chloe laughed. "Must have been out of this world!"

Lois thought about it for a second, "It was- especially towards the end-" she trailed off and forced her eyes to stop glazing over from the memory. Thinking about how good Clark was in bed was not helping to preserve her fury. And she still wanted to be angry with him, dammit! "But I'm still mad as a hornet!"

"So, what are you going to do?" Chloe not-so subtlety hinted. "I mean what do you think- about all of it."

"I don't know," Lois answered, truthfully. "I mean, am I weirded out that my best friend is an intergalactic powerhouse?" She paused reflectively, "strange as it sounds- not really."

That caught the pregnant woman by surprise and she almost ran a red light. "I'd think that would be the first thing that would freak you out!"

"No, it doesn't freak me out," Lois smiled, "I just can't believe he waited this long- I mean the guy literally plucks me out of the sky twice, lies about it to my face, sleeps with me and then on top of everything else- he scoops my story? What was he thinking?"

Chloe sat back in her seat for a moment looking thoughtfully at the road. "He probably wasn't," she said. "I mean you're the first person he's ever really told on his own Lois- this is new for him, too."

Lois furrowed her brows, "I thought he told Lana?"

The blonde made a face and Lois perked up in her seat, "spill, Chloe."

"_He did tell Lana_," the blonde stressed, not wanting her cousin to think Clark had lied to her about something else. "But only after she threatened to end their relationship if he didn't, she backed him in a corner and he caved."

"Oh," was Lois's response. "Poor guy." Then she mentally reprimanded herself. He didn't deserve her compassion- right?

Right. She was still angry and she had to remember that!

"Look," Chloe glanced at her, "I know Clark went about this all wrong-"

"That's putting it mildly," Lois muttered darkly.

"Give him a little slack, Lo."

"So, you're saying I should just forgive him and take him back, just like that?" Lois questioned, obviously not at all on board with that plan.

Chloe laughed, "no. He deserves to suffer a little bit- I mean he did mess up big time. But deep down you know, you can't resist those puppy eyes forever."

"Whatever," Lois responded, not wanting to acknowledge that their could be a grain of truth to the younger woman's words, but just a grain.

"So, what are you going to do now that your blur story is a bust?"

"Well," the reporter smirked, remembering a certain vow she'd made not so long ago. "There is this bank president that I promised would rue the day he'd ever heard the name Lois Lane."

"Really?" Chloe asked with interest. "Where to?"

"Turn down 9th," Lois replied, "I need to write a check that Archie Reynolds' ass can't cash."

Chloe snorted. She knew Lois would never really take a short day.

* * *

Lois didn't hesitate this time when she entered The First Bank. She made a beeline right for Alicia.

"We need to talk," the brunette said, easing herself into the chair across from the blonde.

"What happened to your ankle?" Alicia asked.

"Faulty railing," Lois, replied, "it's no big deal, it'll be healed in a few weeks."

"That's good. What can I help you with?" She was being more cheerful than necessary and avoiding all eye contact. Lois narrowed her eyes.

Maybe this ditz wasn't as oblivious as she looked, the reporter thought, _why is she acting so skittish? _Only one way to find out-

"I think you know why I'm here," Lois began and Alicia's eyes went wide and she chewed on her lip, like a woman hiding something. And Lois almost crooned victoriously. She knew Alicia wasn't as squeaky clean as she appeared! It looked like today wasn't going to be a total waste after all.

"I do?" Alicia was looking everywhere except at the reporter, fidgeting with some files in her hands and erratically stroking random keys on her keyboard.

"You might as well just confess," Lois egged on. Oh, she was going to be easier to crack than the brunette originally thought, "I already know everything."

Let's see what Goldilocks would confess if she thought someone was on to her dirty little secret.

"Look," the teller blurted out, "it wasn't my idea. He practically begged me!"

Ah ha!

"I'm sure he did," Lois said, dryly. It wasn't exactly FrontPage news that bank teller Barbie was banging the boss on the sly.

"Please don't tell anybody," Alicia pleaded. "I could lose my job!"

"Don't worry," Lois assured her, "you're secret is safe with me as long as you cooperate."

The blonde screwed up her face and all but snarled. "This is so typical! You give someone an inch- they take a mile."

"What?" Lois questioned, not quite sure what was happening.

"Look, I don't know what you're so angry about. You're getting your house aren't you?"

"Yes?" Lois retorted, slowly. Alicia slept with Archie so Lois could get her house? Something wasn't adding up. "What are you talking about?"

"I mean he already paid the rest of your down payment! What more do you want?"

"Who?"

"Clark, of course," she rolled her eyes at Lois- who momentarily lost the power to speak.

_What?_

"Clark did that?" She asked, when her voice box worked again.

"Who else?" Alicia said. "He's always had it bad for you. Even when we were together I could tell," she said. "The way he talked about you and when you were in the room it was like no one else existed. You were one of the hundred reasons it didn't work out between us- I couldn't be with someone when they were clearly in love with someone else."

Lois shifted uncomfortably and cleared her throat. People were sure throwing that _L_ word around a lot today.

"So, he's the one that-" she cut off, bemused." But how?" She looked at Alicia dumbly and the teller could only smile and heave her shoulders.

"He had some money saved up, I guess."

"Bastard." Lois said, more to herself than Alicia, ignoring how her throat tightened and her chest swelled with mixed emotions.

"Well, I think we could use more bastards like him, if you ask me," Barbie intercepted. "I mean if a guy did that for me-" she trailed off and Lois swallowed.

"I can't believe it."

"Well, it happened. So you better believe it."

Lois didn't have a response to that, so Alicia continued, "and if you didn't know about Clark, before? Why are you here?" Lois perked up at the question, grateful for the subject change.

"I wanted dirt on your boss, Mr. Reynolds," Lois said, neglecting to mention the part about how she suspected the woman in front of her was having relations with him.

"That old pig?" Alicia kept her voice low, "if you want the skinny of that ninny all you have to do is talk to that gorgeous ex of yours. They're like best friends, didn't you know?"

No, Lois hadn't known that. The only guys she'd ever seen Phil hang out with or talk about were Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb at the office.

"Phil and Archie?"

"Yeah, Phil gets Mr. Reynolds tickets to The Sharks' games all the time."

"You don't say." Lois said, "Thanks for the info. I'll probably be back."

"Of course you will," Alicia said, sarcastically. "First your boyfriend makes illegal transactions and now you want me to help you spy on my boss. If I get fired, I'm coming to live with you."

"Sounds fair," Lois said, choosing to ignore the crack about Clark being her boyfriend. She had to get of there. She needed air. It was becoming a little too hard to breathe the more she sat there. Without thinking, she popped out of her seat then immediately went down, wincing and hissing in pain. Damn injury.

When Alicia tried to help, Lois shooed her away. "I've got it. Thanks." Grabbing her crutches, Lois got out of there as fast as her one good leg could gimp her.

Chloe was waiting outside, leaning against the car eating a hotdog with the works.

"How'd it go?"

"I'm not sure," Lois replied.

"Find out anything juicy?" Chloe asked, wiping a mustard smudge from her chin.

"Sort of," Lois began, distractedly. "Look, I think I'm going to walk home. I need to clear my head."

"It'll take you like forty-five minutes!"

"Just enough time for you to order take out," Lois responded.

"Lois," Chloe grabbed her arm, "what did Alicia say?"

"Clark paid off my loan," she said after explaining to Chloe about her strange financial situation over the past few weeks.

"You know Ollie and I would've given you the money!" Chloe said, dropping her hands and sounding almost hurt.

Lois grinned. "I know. But I just couldn't ask you for it- it's that stubborn Lane pride."

"Which is probably why Clark didn't tell you." Chloe pointed out. "Looks, like he was your savior in more ways than one."

Lois frowned, unable to think of good counter argument. God that big dumb alien was really making it hard for her to stay mad at him! She needed to clear her brain-

"If I'm not home in an hour," she told her cousin, starting to shamble her way down the sidewalk, "make sure the search party has a chocolate and alcohol on them when they come to look for me."

* * *

Chloe was still second guessing herself when she killed the engine in the drive. Letting Lois hobble home probably wasn't the brightest idea, but it wasn't like Chloe could control her. She was a grown woman and could make her own decisions.

Maybe she should go pick her up? Metropolis wasn't the safest city in the world- Chloe put the key in the door and turned it. Without having to think too much about it, she threw her coat over a chair and dumped her and Lois's purses on the island in the kitchen. The reporter still had her cell phone, but Chloe had insisted on taking the cash. She didn't need Lois getting mugged on top of everything else today.

Shelby whined at the back door and Chloe let him in, he licked her hand and went straight to his food bowl.

"That sounds like a good idea," she said, as the mutt happily inhaled his kibble. She hoped Lois was in the mood for Chinese.

Chloe went to grab her phone, when something on the table in the breakfast nook caught her eye and the phone slipped from her fingers and crashed to the floor. But Chloe didn't seem to hear it. Her heartbeat kicked up and a plethora of emotions slammed into her all at once- disbelief, anger, happiness, love.

She couldn't keep her rapidly filling eyes off of the item on the table.

_He remembered. _

_

* * *

_

When Lois finally made it home- exhausted, but alive. Gimping was hard work. She opened her door expecting to see her dog and cousin and hopefully mounds of food on the counter in her kitchen.

She was starving!

As expected, Shelby was her greeting committee. "Hey, boy." She said lovingly, bending down to give his ears a good rub down. "Did you miss me?" He licked her face and she took that as a yes.

"Chlo?"

"In here!" A wobbly voice sounded from the other room and Lois cringed. Uh-oh. The waterworks were definitely flowing. Carefully, the reporter followed the weepy sounds that were coming from the kitchen, Shelby hot on her heels. Chloe was balling on the kitchen table clutching stuffed Giraffe in her arms.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Lois sat down beside her. "And what's with the plush toy?"

"It's from Ollie, the rat," the blonde sobbed. "He's doing this on purpose! It's like he wants me to cry!"

"I'm sure he doesn't want that," Lois said, rubbing her back.

"We had a huge fight yesterday," the pregnant woman continued. "He's worried about what our kid is going to think about his reputation- I think he wants to be the next Donald Trump or something!" She sniffed.

"I'll worry when he starts sporting a comb over," Lois replied, doing her best to lighten the mood.

Chloe looked up, blotchy and red smiling tearfully. "I told him I wanted the old Oliver back and he said that it wasn't going to happen and then get's me _this_!" She threw the stuffed animal at Lois. "The jerk!"

"I'm sorry," Lois, said, scrutinizing the toy, "I'm not following."

"He won that for me on our first date- well, not that actual one- but it may as well be!"

"I thought he flew you to Monte Carlo?" Lois said.

Chloe wiped her eyes and lifted her head from her arms, "no. That was the second date."

"You're telling me that a multi-billionaire took you to a carnival on your first date?" Lois asked, screwing up her face in confusion. That didn't sound like the Ollie she knew. Oliver Queen never passed up a chance to flaunt his money.

"Yep." Chloe grinned, "and he bought me cotton candy, a corn dog and two funnel cakes." She smiled wistfully.

"Well," Lois retorted, sardonically, "as long as he shelled out the big bucks,"

Chloe grabbed a tissue, blew her nose and blotted her eyes. "Look, I wasn't lying when I told you the first time I saw Ollie I heard angels singing. It's just that I forgot to mention that immediately after the angels finished their lovely chorus, the doubts started their number."

"Oh," Lois said, beginning to understand.

"I didn't want to be just another notch in his bedpost, you know? I mean Ollie didn't have the best track record back then. He was an international playboy that broke hearts for living. And I didn't think I stood a chance."

"How come you never told me this before?" Lois asked.

Chloe shrugged. "I don't know. I guess it just didn't seem that important at the time."

"So, how did you end up at a carnival exactly?"

The expecting mother sighed. "Well, it was only my second or third day on the job. And I don't know if it was fate or just a coincidence, but for some unknown reason Oliver came down to check on us lowly interns and see how we were doing and as soon as he saw me I knew I was in trouble."

"Trouble?"

"Yeah, he was giving me _the eye_. You know, that look all guys get when they think they've found the weakest prey. I could almost see the gears turning in his brain- _blonde equals easy._"

"Wow," Lois said, "what a prince."

Chloe laughed. "That's what I thought too. But I knew I had to prepare myself. He didn't seem like the type to wait before making a move."

"Very true."

"So I came up with this plan," Chloe explained.

"Plan?"

"Yeah, I decided if he was going to hit on me, I'd just play dumb. I mean it wasn't like we were ever formally introduced or anything. He never told any of us his name when he watched us. He just assumed we all knew who he was."

"This is going to be good," Lois said leaning her chin on one hand and patting Shelby's head with the other.

"Well," Chloe began, "sure enough, he came up to me that very same day after work. I was waiting in line at Starbucks. He tapped me on the shoulder, gave me a smiled that could melt stone and said 'hi.'

"And what did you do?" Lois questioned.

Chloe grinned. "I turned around and said 'hi' too, then went right back to looking at the menu. So, he said 'don't you know who I am?' and I said, "Should I?" and I guess it finally dawned on him that I was the only girl in Metropolis who lived under a rock."

Lois giggled. "If only I could've seen his face!"

"It was priceless!" The blonde, confirmed, "but he seemed to like that I didn't know who he was. So, he says his name is 'Ollie' and I told him mine was 'Chloe.' And then he tells me I look like the kind of girl that enjoys sweets and fluffy animals and I say that 'maybe I do and maybe I don't.' So he says, 'why don't we find out for sure,' and before I know it, we're at some local carnival in town about eight blocks away from the coffee shop. And we're laughing and eating and talking and he won me a stuffed Giraffe by playing this really stupid game where you have to throw darts at a wall of balloons."

Lois smiled and Chloe started getting weepy again.

"He must have figured out I'd been lying to him, earlier," she continued, "because about half way through the date he starts feeding me these stories about how we couldn't be more than friends because he had this really terrific girlfriend, back in Star City, that he was totally committed too and I told him that was OK because I was really a Russian spy and couldn't get involved with anyone either. And he said 'I've always wanted to have sex in Monte Carlo with a Russian spy,' and I said, 'well it's too bad that you're in a committed relationship with such a wonderful woman or we_ could_ have sex in Monte Carlo.' And he said 'she left me.' And the next thing I know he fills up the apartment with flowers, then-"

"Love, Marriage, and eventually buying a baby carriage," Lois finished, because her little cousin was starting to leak again.

"Exactly," Chloe sniffed, reclaiming the Giraffe.

"Chlo don't you think this is his way of giving in? A multi-colored white flag, so to speak?"

"Maybe," Chloe replied. "But I haven't decided if it's enough, yet. I mean what if it's just some ploy to lure me into a false sense of security? You know the whole bait and switch routine."

Lois rolled her eyes, and said, "You miss him."

"So?"

"You love him."

"What's love got to do with it?" Chloe scoffed. "You love Clark, but I don't see you forgiving and forgetting what he did anytime soon."

There was that damned word again! "I never said I loved, Smallville," Lois retorted, putting on her mule face.

"You didn't have to," Chloe replied simply, "It's practically tattooed on your forehead in neon glitter!"

Lois made a conscious effort to ignore her cousin's last remark and reached for the phone.

"Chinese or pizza?"

"Chinese."

After Lois ordered the food she said, "So what are you going to do?"

"I'm not sure, yet," Chloe admitted, hugging the Giraffe to her, "this was really sweet." Lois could almost see her resolve crumbling to the ground.

"You're going back to him," Lois said.

"Maybe." Chloe said, then after a beat changed her answer, "probably. But I'm going to wait a few more days- just to make sure he really means it." She squeezed the stuffed animal again and the doorbell rang.

Lois grabbed some money out of her purse and limped to the door. The food had gotten here in record time they must have heard her stomach growling on the other end of the line when she'd called.

The reporter swung the door open, assuming she'd find a delivery boy holding two bags of Kung Pow chicken and pot stickers- instead a big, blonde Phil filled up her doorway.

Lois gasped and put a hand on her heart. "Jesus Phil I thought you were the Chinese guy!" She glared, "what do you want?"

"You look great!" He said giving her a once over and frowning when his gaze fell on her bandaged her ankle. "Does it hurt?"

"Not much," Lois replied, "now what are you doing here?"

Shelby growled behind Lois's legs, "It's OK, boy." Lois quieted the animal looked at Phil expectantly.

"Get your coat," he smiled, "I have something to show you."

Lois knitted her brows and started to shake her head, "Phil, now is really not the time. Look, I've had very bad day-"

"I know," her ex-boyfriend cut her off, "I heard Clark stole your story- don't worry I know what will make you feel better." He sounded so earnest that Lois pitied him a little. "This will turn you're whole day around," he promised.

"I highly doubt that," Lois responded. The only thing that could turn her day around was a bottle of bubbly and greasy Chinese food. "Look, I have to go-"

"Wait!" Phil put his foot in the door to stop her from closing it, "you don't understand I found us a house."

"You _what?_" Lois couldn't believe it. Was the man really that delusional?

"I found us a house," he repeated, all bright eyed and bushy tailed, he went on before she could beg him to stop. "It's in the development right behind The Planet. It's walking distance from the elementary school. The kids will have to take the bus to Jr. High and High School, but that's OK-"

"What kids?" Lois blinked.

"Our kids, silly." She knew by looking at his expression that he really believed in the fantasy he'd created in that big, stupid head of his. Idiot. "It's got a really spacious back yard," he continued and Lois almost groaned, "four bedrooms, a finished basement and a really great kitchen-"

"Phil we are not having kids."

"- And wait until you see the family room, Lois! It's even got a game room where the kids-"

"_Phil!"_

He stopped, jerked out of his plans by her expression.

"We aren't having kids," she fumed, feeling a migraine coming on. Her temples were throbbing. "I'm not buying a house a with you. Why would I when I'm closing on this one in a week? We're not doing anything together." She paused, when his face dropped, "Look, I'm sorry. But I keep telling you over and over- we're not getting back together. It's over."

"How are you still buying this house? I thought your loan went up?" Phil blurted out, unable to hold the words back.

Lois clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth and scowled, wishing she had something heavy to pound his head in with. "I had to put more money down," she snapped, "I assume that was your idea?"

He looked panicked and Lois balled her hands into fists. "You shouldn't be here." He blabbered, looking uncomfortable, like a criminal caught in the act.

Shelby started barking at him again. And Chloe peeped her head into the hallway. "Lois, is everything OK?"

"Everything is just peachy, Chlo," Lois called over her shoulder, before turning her attention back to the dumb, blonde jackass in her doorway.

"So it was _you_!" She accused, yelling over her dogs insistent yapping, while poking Phil hard in the chest. "I had my suspicions when I found out you and Archie Reynolds were like two peas in a pod, but I never thought you'd sink so low!"

"No!" Phil defended, looking guiltier than ever. "It's not what you think, Lois-"

Something in Lois's brain snapped.

"You know that's the second time I've heard that today! And I've got to tell you it didn't sound convincing when Clark said it, and it sure as hell doesn't sound convincing when a dog stealing asshole like you says it, either!"

"If you'd just listen-"

But Lois was done listening. She'd tried to be nice- she tried to let him down easy. It wasn't her fault he couldn't seem to get the message through his thick skull! Plus, he was really starting to piss her off!

Letting out a forceful grunt, the reporter grabbed onto the frame of the door and kicked her ex-boyfriend hard in the shin nearest to her, with her good foot. Phil immediately retracted his injured calve leaving Lois's doorway clear, yelping in pain.

"_Stay out of my life!"_ She slammed the door right in his, scrunched up face.

* * *

Phil blinked, trying to suck in enough air so that he could say the words that would make everything right again. But he couldn't seem to get enough oxygen. His brain felt fuzzy. He staggered off the front porch, the blood in head pounding loudly in his ears. _It would be all right._ He tried to assure himself, letting his brain sink around the panic. So she didn't want to move. OK. They didn't have to move. He could stay here if that's what she wanted. He rubbed his leg a little more then snuck around to the side of the house. _It's really not that bad_, he told himself surveying the small structure for the first time without malice.

It had potential.

This house was smaller than the one he was going to buy for them, but that was OK, too. He didn't exactly know how many bedrooms were upstairs, but they could work around that issue too. If there wasn't enough space they could just add on. Phil's shin felt better, but he still stumbled a little feeling slightly dizzy.

Yes, that's it. They could just build an addition! He was a genius! Lois would like that too. He knew she would. She was just angry with him right now, because of the whole loan thing- but she'd forgive him! She'd probably even thank him for it when she realized he'd only did it because he wanted her back.

Phil opened the gate to the backyard- it was smaller than he would have liked. Then again, he told himself, a small yard meant less to mow and when their kids were older they wouldn't want to play outside anymore anyway. They'd be at school and on the computer. And he could buy a grill and some patio furniture and he and Lois could invite their friends over for barbeques when the summer came. It was big enough for that. Yes! They could just add on an extra bathroom and few more bedrooms- maybe even have a deck instead of a patio. Lois was right. He should have listened to her from the beginning. This house really wasn't so bad. He should have been more flexible.

Phil turned to leave through gate and saw movement in the kitchen. He moved closer to the side window and squinted through the blinds. The kitchen was bright because of the yellow paint and the sunlight shining through the French doors in the back- he could just make out Lois's shape. Her back was turned to him and she was holding onto the counter for balance while she bent over and picked something up off the floor.

He watched for a minute, the shape of her bottom was so familiar to him. He felt like he could reach out and give it a pat, just like he used to. Except, he never had done that. Lois just never seemed like the kind of woman you patted. But now he wanted to. He felt closer to her while peeping through her window than he did when they were together. Maybe it was because she didn't know he was there, so she couldn't shut him out again, or make her eyes go blank the way they did whenever he tried to talk to her now. He couldn't understand it, hadn't he been patient? Hadn't he given her the time she needed? When was she going to stop all of this foolishness and come back to him?

It started to rain and Phil thought, _this is ridiculous_, as the raindrops obscured his vision. And no one thought he'd lost Lois. Everything would be fine. He just had to wait it out like he had been. Just be understanding and more flexible and everything would be fine. It wasn't like she could really shut him out. He had a key. He could get in any time he wanted.

Phil trudged back to his rental and made a mental not to call his realtor buddy and tell him to call off the house hunting. He needed to pack if he was going to move in. He probably wouldn't need all of the furniture since she'd acquired some new pieces. Although they didn't all go together and she might change her mind when he brought her their stripped set from the apartment.

They'd have to talk it over when he was ready to move. Just thinking about talking things over with Lois made him feel, infinitely better and he imagined their conversations all the way home while the rain beat against his windshield.

**TBC**

* * *

**A/N:** Please review...Don't make me pull out the Clark Kent puppy dog eyes...Cuz I'll do it!


	19. Determination and Delusions

******A/N: I know. I know. It's been almost two years since I've updated. So here is the long, long, long, LONG, overdue chapter. I had a couple of very cathartic days of writing. I forgot how much I missed it. *Le sigh* if only I could get paid for this...Oh, well. Please enjoy. **  


**Chapter 19**

**Determination and Delusions**

Ollie ignored the gigantic stack of manila folders threatening to topple over and spill out across his keyboard, he disregarded the dozens of new emails that had popped up in his inbox over the last hour and a half and he had given Travis strict instructions to hold all of his calls for the day.

_She should have called already_, Ollie thought as he shifted in his chair and glared at the cell phone in his hand.

_Ring_. He willed the smartphone. _Ring dammit!_

Silence.

This was ridiculous.

She should have been moved back into the penthouse by now! This very minute they should have been half way through celebrating her homecoming with champagne and no clothes!

He punched the intercom button, "Travis- again!"

"Uh, Mr. Queen I just called fifteen minutes ago and it was fi-"

"Just do it!"

"Yes, sir!"

A few moments later the cell phones rang and with a curse Ollie pressed ignore and glared intently at the device. He heard his office door open and close, but didn't even glance up. If it wasn't Chloe, he didn't care.

"You do realize that I'm the one with the heat vision, right?" Clark said. "I mean I give you props for trying, but-"

"Why hasn't she called yet?" Ollie exclaimed slamming his fist down on his desk.

Clark took it as a rhetorical question and wisely didn't answer.

"She should have called by now!"

"I'm sorry?" Clark said, but Oliver didn't seem to be listening.

"It doesn't make any sense! My plan was fool proof!" Ollie continued and Clark frowned.

"Apparently not as fool proof as you thought if she hasn't called yet."

Ollie glowered at his friend, "Shouldn't Lois be hiding parts of your dead body in her backyard by now?"

"Let's just say it's a good thing she doesn't now about kryptonite yet," Clark sighed and sat down.

"I can't believe you scooped her."

"I didn't have a lot of options," Clark defended.

"You could have just told her-"

"Hindsight is twenty-twenty."

"Well, it could be worse," Oliver, said and Clark, said, "No it couldn't."

"Oh trust me," came the dark reply as Ollie glanced back at his cell, "it could _always_ be worse."

"I guess I'll take your word for it," Clark placated.

"So why aren't you at The Planet begging for her forgiveness?" Oliver asked, glad for the momentary distraction of someone else's woman troubles.

"It's been a busy morning- you know rescuing pedestrians from fires and muggings and what not."

"Cop out."

Clark glared at his friend, "fine. I thought I'd give her a little space. Don't worry I have big groveling plans for this afternoon."

"Like what?"

"Lois is a classic avoider- so I'm just going to be _un_avoidable," Clark smiled, "that and I got her front row seats to the Monster Truck Rally this weekend."

Ollie shook his head. "You're right. It is a good thing she doesn't know about Kryptonite yet."

"I'll get her back," Clark said with more confidence than he felt, then mentally kicked himself. Failure was definitely not an option. "And you'll get Chloe back." He added for good measure.

"She's my wife!" Ollie pounded his fist on the desk and stood up. "There's nothing to get back. She's mine." He started pacing and Clark edged back in his seat and thought Chloe better move back in soon before Ollie had a nervous break down.

"I know."

"She should be home," he raged "I mean do you know how long its been since we-"

"I don't need to know that," Clark interrupted, grimacing.

"God, I haven't gone this long since-" Ollie stopped and thought about it, "I've _never_ gone this long!"

"Oh, so that's why you're acting-" Clark wanted to say _deranged_, but thought better of it, "so cranky."

"Wouldn't you be?"

Clark thought about telling him that it wasn't a matter of how long it had been, but rather the thought that it might never happen again that was driving him crazy, but didn't. Some things he and Oliver just never needed to discuss. Although it was hard not to think about it- About Lois, naked and under him again, about the soft mewing sounds she made when he kissed her neck or how hard she clung to him when he made her come.

God, he wanted her again. Clark locked his jaw, and he would have her again- always.

"Have you tried calling her?" Clark suggested, trying to drive all thoughts of missing Lois out of his brain.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because it's her move."

"Her move?"

"You know nothing about marriage!" Oliver said.

"I was married," Clark defended.

"My point exactly." Oliver replied. "You _were_ married, as in past tense." He sighed "The ball is in her court now." The truth was he'd punched her number into his cell more than once today. But he'd stopped himself from calling. He wanted his present to do all the talking. He wanted her to know that he was still that guy that won her that stupid giraffe and flew her to Monte Carlo. He was still the man she fell in love with.

It was just-

"You should call her," Clark interrupted his thoughts.

Oliver growled, "This is stupid! She's my wife!"

"You said that already."

"She wants me to miss budgeting meetings and take her on top of my desk!"

"And that's a bad thing?" Clark wondered, and then couldn't keep the image of bending Lois over her desk out of his head.

"I'll just wait," Ollie said, sounding suddenly distant. "Sooner or later she'll come to her senses."

_Before you lose yours?_ Clark thought biting his tongue. He had absolutely no right to criticize Oliver. It wasn't like he was doing much better. He was in love with a woman he might never see naked again. Never hold or kiss or touch- but even worse than that- he might never get to laugh with her again. They might never have cheesy classic movie marathons or stay up until three o'clock in the morning talking about everything and nothing- he was not going to let that happen.

"Go over there and kidnap your wife," Clark blurted out suddenly, "to hell with waiting!"

Oliver sighed. "I don't know. Chloe's not really into the whole caveman thing."

"She's you're wife," Clark said simply rising out of his chair. "If you want her. Go get her." He walked out of Oliver's office with every intention of practicing what he preached.

Phil parked his rental car on the opposite end of the street and walked as nonchalantly as possible to Lois's- soon to be _their_- house. He wanted to take measurements for the new addition they'd be adding just as soon as he got settled. He could hardly wait to tell Lois all of his plans; she'd be so grateful, he just knew it.

He entered in through the basement again as quietly as possible, but that damn dog started barking as he climbed the stairs. Shelby growled and snapped at his ankles until Phil picked up the bottle of window cleaner on the island in the kitchen and sprayed him in the eyes, laughing when the stupid mutt yelped and dove under a chair. Then he took the tape measure from his pocket and began measuring the dining room and the family room. Writing down the dimensions in the small notebook that usually held sports stats and quotes for his articles.

When he was done with the first story he started on the second. His heart pounded as he climbed the staircase, realizing that this was the first time he'd been upstairs. He remembered watching Lois lean out of her window and for some reason the thought caused the blood to surge through his veins and he started taking the stairs two at a time. When he reached the top he immediately knew which room was hers.

He stopped at the threshold of her doorway and just took it all in. It was so Lois- so familiar that it almost took his breath away. In that moment he took possession of the room, it was no longer just hers- it was his too- it was_ theirs_. And that thought alone was enough to sustain him for the next couple of days. Until everything could be sorted out and Lois talked to him and too him back.

He stepped into the room smiling. She'd left her clothes strewn all over the floor and the drawers to her dresser and nightstand were crooked and half open, shiny fabrics hanging haphazardly over the edges. It was just like before. His eyes slid to the bed- unmade as usual. But Phil's grin faded when he realized that he still had their bed at his apartment. This bed was new. It wasn't theirs. He hated it. It was too big and the color was all wrong. Red. Which was not Lois at all and he decided that he'd bring over the bed from their old apartment and that would leave more space for their other furniture that he still had, too. Relief washed over him- it would be just like before.

He took a few more steps into the room and almost tripped over Lois's bunny slippers- the fuzzy pink ones that were so old there were holes in the bottom, but she still wore them even after he bought her new white slippers for Christmas last year. The bunnies tumbled over each other, Lois had probably kicked them off on the way to the bathroom like she used to at the apartment. His heart felt heavy and slow in his chest suddenly and pushed away the gnawing feeling in his chest. There was no reason to feel achy, he told himself. She'd be so glad when she heard his plan- when they fixed things. It would all work out.

He walked slowly the bed, unable to stop himself from grimacing at the harsh color. But he let his hand slide over the material anyway, frowning. She should be sleeping on something white or pink. Something soft and warm not shiny and cool like the silk covering the mattress now. He'd bring their old sheets with him too. She'd like that.

He continued to let his hand glide to where the bottom sheet curved and dipped outlining where Lois's body had been. He took a deep breath and gingerly rolled onto the bed carefully sliding his body next the imprint of hers and inhaled deeply. The spicy scent of her shampoo still clung to her pillow and he hadn't realized how much he'd missed that smell until it disappeared from their old sheets.

He closed his eyes for a moment and fantasized about how wonderful it would be once he could submerse himself in her scent again- not just her shampoo, her warmth and her laughter. His fist tightened around the covers where she'd been and he wished she were there with him now. He wanted her back so much- not that she was gone- he told himself. No she wasn't gone, they were just going through a phase. Just a readjustment period, that was all. It was no big deal. Really.

He stayed there awhile imagining how great life would be soon. How they would lie quietly together and he would hold her again and stroke her hair. And how good it would feel to have her next to him, wrapped in his arms, beneath him- he thought about having her again and his brain dulled and his breathing grew heavier. He'd take her back right here, in this room, probably in this bed- even though he hated it. But when he got Lois back he knew he wouldn't be able to wait until their old furniture was moved in- he wanted her as soon as possible. He wanted her with him so much- he squeezed his eyes shut and gripped the sheets harder until his mind went black and he couldn't think of anything at all.

Slowly, Phil opened his eyes and calmed his heart rate. When he had his breathing back under control he reluctantly sat up. Not wanting to leave their room without taking her with him. So he leaned over and took the pillowcase off her pillow and held up to his face to breath her in before replacing it with an identical one from the linen closet in her bathroom. Then he folded the old one and put it in the breast pocket of his jacket and went back to The Planet.

Lois was alone in the copy room cursing whatever hair-brained intern decided that the top shelf of the storage unit was a good place to keep the extra office supplies. If she broke, sprained, or twisted another part of her body for some lousy staples, someone's head was going to roll. This is all _his_ fault She thought, fuming then chastised herself for thinking about Clark for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. Was she still angry? Hell yes. But her resolve was already beginning to splinter and the day wasn't even half over.

Hadn't he promised her he'd be kissing the ground she walked on and falling over himself to make her forgive him? But alas, that big dumb alien was nowhere to be found and Lois- in spite of herself- was disappointed. Just a little bit. It wasn't like groveling would have made a difference- maybe. The brunette bit her lip and tried to focus on not falling, instead of Clark, as she reached for the box of staples again. God, she missed him. She didn't want to miss him- but she did. It was almost embarrassing how often she caught herself wanting to text him or in the middle of dialing his number. Even though her bruised pride was a constant reminder her of how much he screwed up- other deliciously bruised parts of her anatomy reminded her of just how good he scr-

"Here let me get that."

Lois was pulled out of her thoughts by a familiar voice she heard the door to the copy room click shut as a broad chest brushed against her back. Just for a moment Lois's heart clutched as Phil reached up behind her and grabbed the box of staples.

"Someone should put a bell around your neck," Lois muttered, mentally chiding herself for being startled. It was just Phil. She waited for him to step back so she could turn around and kick him again. But he didn't.

"I just want to talk," and despite their close proximity Lois spun to face him and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I thought I made it pretty clear that I don't want to talk- ever."

"You were just mad about the house- the other house," he smiled and Lois thought about how much she hated that smile and how much she really wanted to kick him again.

"Look, I can't talk. I'm late," Lois, replied, she tried to maneuver past him, but he blocked her way. "You're in my way."

"I can't be in you're way," Phil said, still wearing that dumb smile. "We belong together, you're way is my way."

"Phil Move," Lois tried to stay calm, but he was so big and so close and she realized he was leaning in forcing her back against the shelves, imprisoning her in the copy room.

"Look, Phil you've got to get it through your head that we're over. Done. Finished. There is no more us. There was never really was- it was a mistake. There was never really a connection, you know?"

Phil was a rational guy. In fact he was the most rational guy Lois knew. He'd see that she was right. They didn't belong together. She wasn't good for him and he sure as hell had never been good for her. But the look in his eyes sent an eerie chill clear through to her bones. It was like he hadn't heard a word she'd said. Like he'd ignored her completely and replaced her words with his own twisted version.

"Of course we connected," he replied, "we're getting married, just as soon as-"

"No, Phil. We are not getting married." She leaned against her crutches dizzy with anger.

"Just _Listen_." He went on, "It's OK, I've decided you should keep the house. We can make it work," he said it like he'd made some big concession- some great sacrifice for Lois's happiness. She opened her mouth to tell him to get the hell out of her way before he lost a valuable limb, but to her ever-growing horror he didn't give her the chance. He went on to tell her how they would build onto the house. Where they'd put doors and windows, where the kids would sleep.

Lois was paralyzed with shock. How in the Hell did he know the layout of her house so well? She was almost positive he couldn't have gathered that much information by just looking in the front door. Maybe he got the blue prints from online. Yes. Lois thought that had to be it, because if it wasn't- for the first time true fear gripped her and the realization that she was trapped in the copy room with her very big, very delusional ex-boyfriend, hit her like a fist in the gut. The air was starting to feel thinner, Phil wasn't violent, she knew that, but he was definitely disconnected with reality. She had to get out, fast. She put more weight against the shelves, leaning off of her bad leg if she could just get in one good punch-

"Lois? Are you in there?"

Phil was halfway through explaining what color he was going to stain their new backyard deck, when Jimmy's voice sounded from the other end of the door.

"Yes!" The reporter exclaimed with relief and lunged towards freedom, but Phil caught her around the waist and hauled her against his chest.

"Go away! We're talking!" Phil answered and Lois squirmed.

"Mr. Connor?" Jimmy questioned, then tried the doorknob, "It's locked. Lois is everything all right?"

"Olsen!" Lois elbowed her ex in the stomach, but he just held on tighter. Dammit!

"We're talking, Olsen. She'll be out later. Get lost."

Oh, Hell.

Lois struggled against Phil's iron grip while the big stupid lug tried to quiet her with what he considered soothing words about their future life together and she wished her hands were free so she could bludgeon his face with the nearest blunt object.

"Lois? Should I get someone?"

_Oh, Jimmy. _

"Let me go!" Lois heaved, finally able to dig the stiletto heel of her good foot into Phil's big toe and he released her with a shriek, just as jimmy barged through the door.

"Uh," the photographer looked at Phil, bent over holding onto his foot and Lois who was gimping towards him as fast as her good leg could carry her.

"Are you OK?" Jimmy asked and Lois just grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room. "Let's go."

"That was weird" Jimmy said, when Lois plopped into his chair in the bullpen.

"Very," she agreed.

"You should tell Perry."

Lois scoffed, "There's no need to bother Perry, besides Phil is harmless- just a little delusional that's all."

"He trapped you in the copy room, Lois. You should at least get a restraining order or something."

"Nonsense," Lois waved off Jimmy's concern. ""I can take care of myself, Olsen. You saw him in there. Phil is just having a hard time facing reality. It's no big deal." She didn't have time to worry about Phil. He was a big boy. He'd get it through his head sooner or later that they were done. Right now she had bigger things to concentrate on- like getting her career back on track.

"Maybe you should at least tell Clark-"

"No."

"Lois he's your knew partner and the only guy at The Planet who could probably kick Phil's ass-"

"I think I did a pretty good job of that myself," Lois cut him off. "No more talk about Phil or Clark."

"But Lois-"

"Don't push me Jimmy I was just held against my will in a closet. I'm not having a great day."

"Right," Jimmy gulped.

"Now tell me you got something good to cheer me up," Lois said. She'd asked Jimmy to tail Mr. Reynolds to see where this so-called _Pillar of the Community_ spent his time outside of the office.

The rookie photographers smiled, "Oh, yeah. You are going to love this."

"I better," Lois warned. She wasn't kidding about having a lousy day- hell she was having a lousy week!

Jimmy quickly pulled up the pictures on his desktop. Lois furrowed her eyebrows. "Is that the mayor?"

"Mr. Nefarious himself," Jimmy answered.

Lois grabbed the mouse and began clicking through the images trying in vain to squash the bubble of excitement in the pit of her stomach. This could be it- this could really be it! She'd been trying to pin something concrete on the Mayor for _years_. Money Laundering, human trafficking, and of course the man had more women on the side than a harem, the list of criminal activities went on and on.

But the Mayor was just as clever as he was corrupt. And Lois had never been able to directly tie him to anything. The man was more slippery than motor oil. Perhaps, the reporter thought, Archie was her ticket to a much bigger fish. And this time she wasn't letting that creep slip through her fingers. She smiled up at Jimmy. "You know. I may not be having such a bad day after all."


End file.
